


In The Shadows

by CB (CBindisguise)



Series: On The Surface [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Chara and Frisk Share a Body, Chara and Frisk are female, Child Abuse, Evil W. D. Gaster, Family, Gaster is Badster, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Not so punny Sans, POV Third Person, Parent Sans (Undertale), Platonic Relationships, Protective Sans, Science Experiments, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, Swearing, This fic gets dark, Violence, some fluff here and there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-25 20:41:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13842636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CBindisguise/pseuds/CB
Summary: After a scrapped timeline in which Frisk dies, she resets and heads back for round two in the underground. Only problem is, she isn't sure if she wants to return to the surface. As she overcomes her past demons, and learns to take on new ones, she quickly learns that there's one extra monster to the mix that she's never seen before. One monster who is prepared to do anything to break the barrier, and on the hunt for a live human soul.





	1. The Angel of the Underground

   According to surface world lore, all those who are foolish enough to fall into the hole at the peak of Mount Ebott, are about as good as dead. There had been rumors of children running away or getting lost into the mountains, and never being seen again. There had been talk of monsters, lurking in the underground, ready to find their next victim who falls. They were trapped there- and for good reason. They were dangerous beings who could not be trusted to roam free with other humans beside them. They proved that when the war against humans and monsters broke out.

   But according to the monsters of the underground, the so called ‘foolish,’ were just unfortunate. Unlucky. Lost.

   And that’s how they remained. Six human children had fallen into the underground, and never returned to the surface. Never to be seen again. If there was one thing in common between the two sides of the story, it was that those who try to leave, just ended up dying.

   All of monster kind’s hope was pinned onto the seventh and final human soul needed to shatter the barrier. They called this child the angel of the underground; for they will all be free when they finally arrive.

~---~

   Frisk took a deep breath in. It had been while since the reset occurred. Her memory was slowly filling in with the missing details of the previous timeline as she sat comfortably on the green, lumpy couch at Sans and Papyrus’ house. There was a slight divot in the cushion, pulling Frisk farther into the back of the sofa. By her side was Sans, who had an arm draping off the side of the couch as he lazily watched what was playing on the TV in front of them. He glanced towards Frisk’s direction when he noticed her staring at him.

   “You good kiddo?” He asked. Frisk shot him a slight smile and nodded. She turned her head and focused on Mettaton’s cooking show. They both stayed like that for two more episodes, enjoying each other’s company.

   The peace didn’t last long. They heard the front doorknob being jostled and turned. They both sat up straighter, eyes darting to the front door. The door slowly pushed opened as Papyrus stepped inside, his head pointed downwards as he did his best to wipe his boots off from the leftover snow outside.

   “I knew I had a feeling you’d be inside. Your shift hasn’t even ended yet.” He pointed out, stomping his boots, eyes still downcast. “Are you still feeling sick? Because if that’s the case-“ He lifted up his head, freezing in his spot once he noticed the extra person sitting beside him.

   “Nope. But I did find her.” Sans said rubbing the back of his skull sheepishly. Papyrus’ jaw dropped, his eyes widening in shock.

   “S-Sans! Is that…that…that-“ He stuttered.

   “A human?” Sans finished. “Sure is.”

   “Wh-what is it doing in our house?! Quick- we must capture it and turn it in to Undyne!” He ordered. Frisk tensed up at the mere mention of facing Undyne.

   “Woah, relax bro. There’s no need to shout and panic, right? Let’s all just calm down and talk.” Sans slowly said, noticing Frisk’s worried expression. “First off, this human has a name. Her name is Frisk.”

   Frisk waved shyly. “Hi.”

   Papyrus looked puzzled. This tiny child was a human? But…it looked so fragile and scared. He thought humans were vengeful creatures full of hate. And they were said to be ridiculously strong, but…

   He gazed curiously at the child.

   But this one looked about as intimidating as Lesser Dog.

   “Hello Frisk. Unless my brother Sans told you already, my name is Papyrus, and I am training to become a part of the Royal Guard.” He proudly claimed.  “Undyne is the captain and I am obligated as part of my duty, to capture you.” He explained, shooting a look to Sans. “And it’s a part of Sans’ duty to do the same.”

   “Aw come on bro…look at her. She was hungry, cold and alone when I found her. You can’t expect me to just throw her to Undyne or the King.” He defended.

   “Yes but, we can’t keep her here! Harboring a human from the guards is a serious felony!” Papyrus argued. “No matter how small and tiny this child is.” He noted.

   “Please bro? She’s not a bad kid. Just let her stay.” Sans begged. “She won’t hurt anyone. I’ll make sure of it. I can look after her.”

   “ _You,_ look after a _human_?! You can’t even remember to feed our pet rock, let alone a child. And where would she stay? There’s no room in the house for her.”

   “I-I can sleep in the shed.” Frisk piped up. Sans’ permanent smile drooped slightly.

   “The shed?” The brothers said in unison.

   “Yeah. Why not? If there’s no room for me, that’d be my only option…”

   “Now hang on a second-“ Sans began, but was immediately cut off by Papyrus.

   “Hmm. You know, that might not be such a bad idea…” He pondered while holding onto his chin. “Wait, wait, what am I saying? I can’t take a human in! Th-that would be absurd. Breaking the law and passing up my chance to become a royal guardsmen? There’s too much at stake.” He backed up.

   “We’ll talk to Undyne. We can get her approval for Frisk to stay.” Sans stated. Papyrus was silent for a moment, weighing his options.

   “What if she doesn’t? I mean, why would she?” Papyrus shot back skeptically.

   “Frisk has a way with monsters. I mean, she made it out of the ruins without harming anyone. Even when they were the ones attacking her. That deserves a little bit of credit, don’t you think?” Sans informed. “She’s just lost. Please. Let her stay with us. Just for a little while?”

   Papyrus frowned, in deep thought. He walked over to Frisk and squatted to her level, peering into her pleading eyes.

   “…Frisk. Do you promise you won’t cause any trouble, and that you and my brother will get this sorted out with Undyne as soon as possible?” Papyrus asked.

   “Yes. I promise.” Frisk said with assurance. Papyrus’ gaze softened.

   “Okay. I will hold you up to that promise. You may stay here little human. For I, the great Papyrus, have a heart of gold, even to monster kind’s greatest enemy.” He finalized. Sans let out a big sigh of relief.

   “Thanks Pap. You’re the greatest.”

   Papyrus stood up from his spot and made his way towards the staircase.

   “Of course, I am. However, I do have to report to Undyne later tonight. I won’t tell her anything but just know that we’re playing a very dangerous game right now, so I need the little human to stay out of sight. That means staying in the shed.” He warned as he slowly ascended the wide staircase.

   “Sure bro.” Sans said, as heard his brother close the door to his room. He glanced at Frisk who visibly relaxed once he was gone and his smile became more genuine.

   “One down…” Frisk softly said. Sans leaned over and brought Frisk into a bear hug, giving her a skeletal kiss at the top of her head.

   “Oh, I’m sorry babybones. I hate treating you like some sort of animal.” He apologized.

   “It’s alright. I’m used to it.”

   Sans quickly retracted from the hug and frowned at the ominous statement. Frisk sensed the concern that immediately came from Sans so she simply leaned into him for support. “Sorry. Guess that was a weird thing to say.”

   Sans carefully wrapped a protective arm around Frisk. “You shouldn’t have to get used to it. I don’t want you to get used to it.” He confessed.

   “I know. I won’t…as long as you’re here.”

   Sans gazed into Frisk’s hopeful brown eyes. A light blue blush spread across his cheekbones in response. His smile grew bigger and he rubbed the back of his skull again as he laughed.

   “There ya go making me feel all bashful. You’re always good for a smile Frisk.”

   Frisk giggled back at him. It was amazing just how much her life had changed within the past few days. Just last week she was suffering on the surface, living with her abusive mother, starving and alone. Then…she decided to run away and end her life. Now, she was sitting at the skele-brother’s house with Sans by her side, trying to come up with a plan that would convince the monsters to let her stay. As expected, Papyrus was easy to convince. It was Undyne and the royal guardsmen that were the real challenge. Undyne was stubborn and aggressive. She believed that if she successfully fought and killed the seventh human soul, monster kind would no longer live in misery. Asgore on the other hand was more likely to listen to what Sans and Frisk had to say, so persuading him that Frisk could stay would be a bit easier. Especially since Asgore wasn’t eager to take another human life away for the sake of the greater good.

  “Sans?”

   “Yeah kid?”

   “Can we…Can we see Asgore next? Undyne still kinda scares me.” Frisk admitted.

   “Asgore? You sure?” Sans repeated in disbelief.

   “Yeah. I think he’ll be more willing to listen to us than Undyne will. Plus, once we get him on our side, it will be easier to convince Undyne. Or at least…that’s what I’m hoping for anyways.” Frisk explained.

   “Hmm…Alright. I guess we’ll do that tomorrow. As for right now, let’s get you set up.” Sans said helping her up from the couch. “Wait…just a second…” he interrupted. He unzipped his blue jacket and shrugged it off his shoulders. He knelt down to Frisk’s level and caringly draped the hood over her head. “Keep that on in the meantime. It’s cold outside and I reeeeally don’t want you getting sick again.” He explained. It was clear that even though he said it lightly, there was an ominous dark feeling that came with it.

   Frisk nodded, her brown eyes shining in gratitude. She put her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up. The sleeves draped over her short arms and they covered her hands entirely.

   Satisfied, Sans reached for her covered hand and teleported to the shed next door to avoid being spotted. The frigid atmosphere instantly surrounded the both of them like a spirit as they landed on hardwood. The paint on the walls were chipped and faded while the floorboards seemed lose and rotted. There was no heat and the cold from outside seeped in from the numerous cracks and holes in the structure.

   “Stay here sweetheart. I need to get a couple things for you.” Sans instructed. And with a snap of his fingers, he vanished into thin air. In a couple minutes, he came back with a stack of blankets and a few pillows. With ease, he spread the blankets out on the floor, laying them on top of one another. He put the pillows at the top of the stack of sheets, creating a makeshift bed for Frisk to lay in. Then he was gone again, teleporting back to the house.

   This time he came back with a flashlight. He was panting heavily, and Frisk could see his eye socket flickering with blue. She walked to his side, peering at him with concern.

   “I’m okay, I’m okay…” Sans reassured her.

   “Maybe you should chill out on the teleporting. I don’t think it’s good for your body.” Frisk noted.

   “It’s not.” Sans admitted. When the flickering in his eye stopped and when he finally caught his breath, he handed the flashlight to Frisk. “You told me before that you were afraid of the dark right?”

   Frisk flicked on the switch and watched it shine through the dim lighting of the shed.

   “Just in case you need it.” He clarified. “And if anything happens, or if you need me, you can shine it through that window and I’ll see it from my room.”

   His words gave comfort to the child as she put the flashlight down by the blankets Sans gave her.

   “Are you gonna be alright here by yourself?” Sans asked.

   “It’s only for tonight.” Frisk replied. Whether she was saying it for Sans or for herself, she wasn’t sure.

   “…Alright. That means we gotta see Asgore tomorrow, so you don’t have to sleep in here again. Sound like a plan?”

   Frisk smiled.

  “Yeah. Sounds good.”

~---~

   That night, the two skeleton brothers wished Frisk goodnight.

   “Wowie Sans. You gave the human your most prized jacket!” Papyrus pointed out. Sans rubbed his bare arms as he spoke.

    “Well, she’ll freeze if I don’t.” He defended.

    “Hmm. Very well then. Goodnight human. Try not to leave the shed until we say so.” Papyrus said shortly. It was odd for Frisk to see him so distant, yet, who could blame him? He just met her today. No story time with Papyrus tonight. Sans made his goodnight short and sweet just like his brother, who was still watching from the doorway.

   “See ya tomorrow kid.”

   The door shut behind them and then Frisk was alone. Sans wasn’t kidding when he said the shed was dark at night. Instead of focusing on the shadows surrounding her, she slowly laid down on her blankets and pillows. Despite her wearing the jacket, she shivered from the chill that crawled up her spine. She rolled over and brought the covers up to her chin. Looking out the window she could see faint lights coming from the skeleton’s house. Frisk glanced at the flashlight, which was set by her side.

   No. Come on. She didn’t really need that flashlight, did she? Why was she so scared? It was just the dark. Nothing was going to hurt her here.

   Her rational thoughts did not help, and she gave in. She picked up the flashlight and flicked it on. The dull orangey light lit up the space around her, easing her anxiety. She sat there sitting in silence, listening to the ambience of Snowdin through the shed. She heard monsters walking upon the snow-covered ground as they all bid farewell and went home to their families.

   Minutes passed by, but for Frisk, it seemed like hours. Eventually, Frisk was overcome with exhaustion from the day, and she laid back down into her bed. She gathered up the courage to turn off the flashlight and close her eyes. Soon, she drifted off into sleep.

~---~

   _Frisk’s stomach growled loudly in agony. It had been two whole days since she had eaten anything. Mother had been in a particularly bad mood for the past few days. She came and slammed on Frisk’s door, yelling and cursing her out to try and open the door if she dared. Frisk kept the door locked for her safety, but now she couldn’t stay. She was starving in her own room._

_Quietly, the child unlocked the door and slowly pushed it open, trying not to make it creak as she did. She peered out into the hall, checking to see if the coast was clear. When she didn’t see anyone, she carefully made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was thankfully silent in the house, so her mom was probably sleeping._

_Hastily, Frisk opened the fridge, only to see that it was practically empty. When was the last time mom went food shopping? All that was in here were beer bottles. Frisk shook the thought from her head so she could focus. She searched in he cabinets and found a box of cereal. She brought it out, only to feel how light it weighed. There were only a few flakes inside. She reached in the box and grabbed the last handful and promptly stuffed it into her mouth. The stale cereal made her mouth water in joy, but it was quickly outlived when she finished swallowing._

_Frantically, she rummaged in the cabinets for more. Finally, she found a can of raviolis. She sighed in relief and got the can opener. Once she opened it, she grabbed a spoon and began shoveling the processed pasta straight into her mouth. At that moment, the raviolis were the best thing she had ever eaten in her life, and she couldn’t stop herself from tearing up with joy._

_Before she got carried away, Frisk hurriedly put the can opener away, and threw out the empty box of cereal. She took the can, and began to quickly, yet quietly, climb back up the stairs. She could see her bedroom door halfway there._

_Then she felt a bony hand grab her ankle. Her eyes widened in fear, as she sharply turned her head towards the person holding onto her._

_“You thought I wouldn’t notice ya stealing my food?!” Her mother slurred from the steps beneath her. It was clear that she was drunk, and the smell from her breath certainly gave it away._

_“I-I’m sorry mom! I-I was just so hungry and-“ Frisk frantically apologized but she was cut off when her mother pulled her leg harshly from under her. She ended up falling down the staircase, her raviolis following after her. The pasta sauce flew out of the can and stained the carpet._

_“Damn it! Look what you did now, you stupid piece of shit! You stained the fucking carpet! All because you wanted some food!” She shouted, roughly picking Frisk up by the shirt. Tears formed in Frisk eyes as cold fear ran through her body._

_“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I-I’ll clean it! Please mommy!” Frisk begged._

_A hard slap in the face had Frisk crying out. Then she threw her onto the floor, kicking her right in the side. The stinging in her cheek only brought more tears as her side ached in pain._

_“Stop crying! Stop crying right now before I really give you something to cry about!”_

_She punched her, Frisk seeing stars when her head clunked onto the banister. Frisk could taste the blood in her mouth from accidently biting her cheek._

_“CLEAN IT UP!”_

_Frisk scrambled to her feet, shaking terribly as she rushed to get cleaning supplies and carpet cleaner. She fought hard to keep her tears at bay, but it was no use._

_She rushed back with a bucket of soapy water, a hand brush, and paper towels. She kneeled over and began to scrub for her life. Her mother watched in silence, before she walked away into the kitchen. Even when Frisk was finally left alone, her body could not stop shaking. When her mother came back she was drinking another beer._

_“You’re a real piece of shit you know that Frisk? Making my life so difficult. You’re lucky I let you stay under this house.” She muttered. Frisk was so nervous, that her shaking caused her to knock over the water. “UGH! FRISK YOU DUMBASS! CAN’T DO NOTHIN RIGHT CAN YOU?!”_

_“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m so, so, sorry!”_

_“Sorry ain’t good enough!”_

_There was nothing but the sound of screams and broken glass as her mom shattered her beer bottle onto the table, leaving nothing but a jagged dagger in her hand._

_“No, no, mom! Please no! No, NO!” Frisk screeched as she was pulled by the hair._

_Then her mother slashed her with the broken bottle._

_~---~_

Frisk awoke with a jolt, suddenly sitting upright as a loud gasp escaped from her mouth. She was in a cold sweat, shaking in pure fear of the memory that haunted her dreams. Even after waking up, she was still experiencing pain from where the glass bottle had cut her skin. A whimper came from her mouth, but she quickly covered it to avoid making any more noise. The last thing she wanted was to wake up all of Snowdin with her crying. Instead, she shook violently in her spot, her breath panicked and short. With a trembling hand, she reached for the flashlight and flicked it on. She shined it out the glass pane and pointed it towards Sans’ window. The light unsteadily swayed from her wobbling hand, so she repeatedly flicked the flashlight on and off to get his attention.

   It worked, because Sans walked over to the window and nodded.

~---~

   Sans quickly shut the door behind him as he rushed to Frisk’s side. She was shaking like a leaf, breathing heavily out of her mouth, producing a white puff of smoke as she exhaled. She was holding onto her side and grimacing in pain. Sans placed his hands onto her shoulders.

   “Frisk, hey, hey…calm down…come on baby bones. You gotta breathe for me okay?” He instructed. Frisk nodded and managed to take a few shuddering breaths. The pain in her side ebbed, but not enough to ignore completely. “Move your hand, let me see.” Sans ordered.

   “T-T-There’s nothing there. I-It’s like a phantom pain.” She explained through clenched teeth. Sans frowned. Phantom pain? Sans was going to have to read more about that one later. As of now, he had to find out what was causing her so much torment. He moved Frisk’s hands, which were bunching up the fabric of her shirt, to get a closer look. He slightly lifted her shirt, exposing just her side, and through the faint lights from outside, found a large scar indented into her skin. Disturbed and unsure of what to do, he simply brought Frisk into a comforting hug. She was still sweating and shaking terribly.

   “Shhhhh…..shh, shhh…hey…it’s alright. I’ve gotcha…” Sans whispered, kissing the top of her head with his teeth. Once the pain had finally receded, Frisk was able to calm down.

   “Frisk…what happened?” Sans finally asked. “Was it a nightmare?”

   Frisk nodded.

   “More than that. A memory…” She specified still unable to control her quaking.

   “It wasn’t that _other_ timeline was it?” Sans worried, quickly fearing that he was to blame for her misery. Frisk shook her head and swallowed. She never really told Sans about that day. She had mentioned to him before back on the surface that her mother had hurt her. Had resented her for years and took her anger out on her by beating her. But she had never ever spoke of that day from her dream. That was one of the scariest moments Frisk had experienced, but definitely not the last. Nonetheless, it still found its way into her dreams.

   Like tonight.

   “It was about my mom.” She said voice barely audible. Sans could feel his soul stop.

   “What the hell happened for you to be shaking this much?” He questioned. Frisk took a shuddery breath before speaking.

   “She was really mad that day. I was so hungry Sans. I-I hadn’t eaten in two days! I-In my own house no less!” Frisk confessed. Sans’ eye lights shrank considerably. “I ran into the kitchen and found something to eat. B-but just when I thought that I wouldn’t get caught-“

   A lump formed in Frisk’s throat as her eyes watered upon recalling the dream.

   “She pulled me down the stairs and…and she started to beat me. B-b-but this wasn’t like the other times. She was angry because I dropped my food on the way down and stained the c-carpet. I-I tried to clean it up a-a-and I told her I was sorry,” Frisk retold stumbling over her words. “B-But she was too drunk and angry at me t-to care.”

   Through Frisk’s hiccupping, Sans had wrapped his arms around her protectively. His eye lights were completely gone, and there was a mixture of sorrow and hatred on his face that stopped Frisk from her downwards spiral.

   **“That’s…That’s so awful sweet pea.”** He consoled. A faint blue wisp of smoke emitted from his eyes, but otherwise only left two hollow sockets for Frisk to stare into. **“A-and that scar? Is that related to what you just told me?”**

   Frisk nodded again.

   “It was a beer bottle.” She whispered.

   Sans’ hold on Frisk became tighter. He didn’t say anything at first, too angry to speak without frightening the girl any further. His cyan eye lit up the darkness around them.

    **“Stars…”** Sans muttered at a loss for words. **“I’m sorry Frisk. I’m so, so, sorry…”**

“I-it isn’t your fault Sans. It was only mine for not being careful enough. A-and then I had to drop the stupid can and get the carpet all dirty.”

   Sans immediately pulled back, looking her in the eyes.

   “You can’t seriously think that it was _your_ fault, do you?” He asked dumbfounded. Frisk shrugged her shoulders, looking towards the ground in shame. “Hey-hey- hold on. No. Look, kid? Come on. That was not your fault-“

   Sans resumed hugging her, but this time for his own sake. Like if at any moment Frisk could disappear through his grasp. His Megalovania Eye sparked back to life.

   **“It is not your fault…I mean- stars, you shouldn’t think that you deserve being- being _beaten.”_** Sans said in a low voice. **“It’s so horrible…I’m sorry that you had to live like that.”** Then he kissed the top her head again. He took a deep breath and his magic died down.

   “But let me tell you, you’re my kid now and you know what?”

   Frisk lifted her head, still trapped in Sans’ large bear hug.

   “What?” She wondered.

   “I’m gonna make sure that you aren’t afraid of anyone. And you’ll always have a full belly, and live in a warm house. And have lots of friends, and not have to worry about your mom, alright? I’ll take care of you, and I _promise,_ ” Sans paused dramatically. “…to be the best skeledad I can for you. Sound good?”

   And for the first time since Frisk arrived in the underground, she felt safe. She smiled and leaned into Sans, resting her head on his chest.

   “Yeah. That sounds nice.” She admitted. Sans smiled slightly and stroked her hair soothingly, the way Toriel did the timeline before.

   “Heh. Good…Everything’s gonna be alright Frisk. I’ve gotcha.” He cooed. Frisk closed her eyes, listening to nothing but the sound of his voice. “Sleep…It’s alright…I’ll be here. I won’t leave you alone tonight…Just try to get some rest.”

   “Okay.” Frisk’s small voice agreed. She let the warmth of Sans’ jacket around her, and the comfort of being held in his arms lull her into sleep. As her breathing became deep, Sans hummed a lullaby to his daughter. After a few minutes of quiet humming, she was out like a light. Sans smiled at the sight of Frisk’s peaceful face as she rested. He slowly adjusted his arms and set Frisk down into the pile of blankets he had for her. She slightly stirred, but quickly resumed sleeping. Sans sighed in content, and sat beside her, sitting against one of the walls of the shed. He crossed his legs and lowered his head. He brought his hands closer to his face, interlaced them with each other, and let his elbows rest on his knees.

   For the next few hours, he watched over his child until he finally couldn’t fight his exhaustion anymore and drifted off into sleep.

****

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaay! We're finally here and back for more action with Frisk and Sans. Not gonna lie, I kind of missed writing new chapters. But most importantly, I MISSED YOU GUYS! Glad you made it for the start of this fucked up adventure. Hope this first chapter was solid. Things are gonna be changing for Frisk! (I mean, just look at the tags.) 
> 
> Let's see how this all plays out. I know I'm going to be having a lot of fun with this. >:D
> 
> But anyways, as always, thank you all so much for your love and support. I really did miss it, and it feels great to be back!  
> Stay awesome.  
> ~CB


	2. Captain of The Royal Guard

   Frisk’s eyes slowly fluttered opened as her vision adjusted to the natural light entering through the window. She blinked a few times and eventually turned her head to see Sans sitting against the wall. His legs were crossed, and his entire body was slumped over while he slept. He snored loudly, and Frisk could see his white T-shirt move as he breathed. Frisk slowly sat up, feeling a dull ache in her back muscles from the hard floor she slept on. She pushed the blankets away from her and carefully crawled towards Sans.

   “Hey…Sans? Wake up…” She whispered, while tugging at his shirt. He wasn’t affected, and he continued with his snoring. “Sans.” Frisk repeated a little louder. This time he awoke, his eyes wide and his body on full alert. When he saw that there was no threat or danger in the shed, he calmed down. He yawned like a bear and cracked his neck.

   “Heya kiddo…Feeling well rested?” He asked. Frisk nodded happily. “Good to hear.” He peered out the window and noticed the bright light from outside. “Come on. Let’s get out of this old shed.” He offered. He took Frisk’s hand and teleported back inside the house, landing directly on the couch.

   They heard Papyrus clattering some pots and pans in the kitchen. He was humming to himself, until he heard Sans’ footsteps growing closer. He turned and saw him in the doorway, along with Frisk on the couch rubbing her eyes.

   “Aha! There you are brother! And where have you been, so bright early?” Papyrus interrogated while waving a spatula at him.

   “Good morning to you too bro.” Sans said sarcastically. “I was with the kid.” He answered anyway.

   “You mean the human? I’m surprised you two haven’t gotten caught by the royal guards. Speaking of which, when are you going to get all of this sorted out?” He questioned while putting his gloved hands on his hips.

   “We were planning on doing it today. We’re gonna go straight to the king.” Sans assured. Papyrus didn’t say anything, and he simply put the spatula back into a drawer. “…So uh…How’d…How’d it go with Undyne yesterday?” Sans hesitantly asked.

   “It went well. I didn’t tell her anything about the human, if that’s what you’re worried about. Just, don’t force me to keep any secrets from her again alright?” Papyrus replied. Sans nodded.

   “Yeah. I know. That was totally uncool of me. I’m sorry bro.” He genuinely apologized. Papyrus gave him a forgiving smile in return.

  “It’s alright.” He dismissed, returning to the dishes on the counter. He put them away one by one as Sans walked back into the living room. Frisk was zoning out on the couch, her eyes unfocused as she was trapped in her daze. Sans placed a caring hand on her head to get her attention, but she replied with a sharp flinch. Sans quickly retracted his hand and frowned.

  Oh.

   Of course. The dream from last night was still fresh in her mind. It was going to be a while for her to forget it. Fucking christ…This poor kid.

   They were both silent as Papyrus carried on with his humming, blissfully unaware of what happened. Finally, Sans spoke up.

   “Say…you must be hungry Frisk. Want me to get you a cinnamon bunny for breakfast?” Sans suddenly offered.

   “Oh…O-Okay.” Frisk accepted.

   “Kay. Be back in a flash. Papyrus? I’m gonna step out for a minute. Take care of Frisk while I’m gone.” He called after. Papyrus stuck his head out the kitchen and into the living room.

   “M-Me?! Alone with the human?! Now wait a second-“ He nervously stammered.

    Sans merrily waved his hand goodbye and flashed to the Snowdin shop before Papyrus could refuse. Upon arriving to the shop, he ended up startling the young bunny lady at the front counter. Her ears shot up as her eyes widened.

   “Oh, Sans! You startled me. You look so different without your jacket. What can I get you hon?”

   “Heh. Sorry, my bad. Can I get a cinnamon bunny on the go?” Sans ordered. The bunny lady smiled.

   “Sure thing.” She briefly answered. She reached behind her and opened one of the bakery ovens and pulled out a tray covered with cinnamon bunnies. “So, I heard from a few monsters that you’ve been seen with a monster kid? Whose kid is it?” She asked while reaching for a white paper bag.

   Sans blushed slightly as he spoke. “Uh…It’s…heh…It’s mine.”

   The shopkeeper briefly turned around, her mouth hung open, quickly closing into a delighted smile.

  “Sans! I didn’t know you had children! Have you told anyone else yet? How old are they? Who’s the mom? How does Papyrus feel about it?” She wondered, bombarding him with questions.

   Sans rubbed the back of his head, the blue tint in his cheekbones clearing away. “Well she’s adopted so…no mother. I’m not sure how old she is…she’s pretty young though. Papyrus…I think he’s excited. I haven’t told anyone else yet so please keep this between us.” Sans stressed. _We don’t want Undyne or Asgore poking their head over here._

   “Aww, that’s really sweet! I can’t wait to meet her in person. But you shouldn’t be so bashful about it! She’s your daughter. You should tell everyone you know about that sort of thing. I’m sure the king would be delighted to hear the news. You know how he is. He likes to meet new monsters.” She pointed out.

   “Heh…Yeah. I’d still like to keep this a secret for now though. My daughter…she’s very shy. I think if people came to our house looking for her she’d get scared. I’ll introduce her to everyone when she feels ready.” Sans explained. It wasn’t entirely untruthful at least. He knew that word spreads like wildfire in the underground. Being trapped in the same location for hundreds of years meant that people knew every single thing about you. Gossip wasn’t just a pastime- it was practically a hobby.

   “Oh, of course! Then…I won’t tell a soul. Your secret’s safe with me.” She vowed. After she said that, she grabbed a thin piece of tissue paper and transferred the iced treat into the bag. She carried it over the counter and leaned over the register.

   “In celebration of becoming a parent, I’ll give you 20 percent off your cinnamon bunny. Your total is 20g.” She stated. Sans smiled gratefully and paid the shopkeeper her money.

  “Thank you.” Sans said, swiping up the bag.

   “No problem hon. You have a wonderful day with your daughter.”

   “I will.”

   And with that, Sans blinked back inside the house. When his feet touched the floor, he was greeted with the sight of Papyrus taking off his gloves and pulling them over Frisk’s hands. She giggled, as the oversized red mittens sagged over her fingers.

   “There you go human! Now your tiny hands won’t get cold.” He concluded. Sans had to resist the urge to squeak from the utter adorableness. He took a step forward to announce his presence.

   “Gah!” Papyrus shouted in fright as he quickly stood up from the couch.  “Sans! I didn’t see you there! Warn a skeleton before you appear out of nowhere.” He scolded, but Sans couldn’t take him seriously with the orange blush of embarrassment on his face. Sans chuckled and walked over to Frisk.

   “Sorry bro…Here yah go Frisk. One cinnamon bunny, straight out of the oven.” He said reaching into the bag and giving her the treat. Her eyes lit up much to Sans’ delight, and she held it with both hands while taking a bite out of the ear. She shut her eyes and hummed in satisfaction. She chewed her food, swallowing slowly to savor it.

   “Thanks Sans.” She said.

   “No prob.”

   “And me too! For protecting the human!” Papyrus chimed.

   Sans snickered again.

   “Yes, and you too Papyrus.”

~---~

   After spending the morning with Frisk and Papyrus, Sans decided it was time to run some errands.

   “So Frisk, are you still cold? I know Snowdin ain’t exactly a warm place for a human.” He asked. Frisk shrugged.

   “I was, but I think your jacket helped. My hands were just a little cold so Papyrus gave me his gloves.” She explained.

   “Hmm.”

   Sans felt a little guilty. Frisk didn’t have anything here. He wasn’t at all prepared like he thought. Frisk needed a lot of things. A coat, gloves, clothes, shoes, a bed…But…

   Not once had she complained about those things. It made him worry more than anything. Was she also used to not having these things on the surface? Was she too afraid to ask? God, why didn’t he notice these sorts of things sooner?

   Sans shook the unnerving thoughts from his head. He suddenly stood up with purpose, alerting Frisk’s attention.

   “Alright kiddo. You feeling okay now?” He asked one more time. Frisk nodded affirmatively. “Good. Come on. Let’s go shopping for a bit.”

   “Shopping? For what?” Frisk wondered, already getting up.

   “A lot of things.” Sans answered vaguely. He knelt down to her level and zipped up the jacket and pulled the hood over her head. “We’re gonna head to the dump first. Not exactly glamorous, but we could find some good stuff there if we look hard enough. Keep this over your head. Waterfall isn’t as safe as Snowdin, understand? But don’t be scared. If we bump into trouble, I can zip outta there in a second. Got it?” He informed.

   “Got it.” Frisk confirmed.

   “Good.” Sans said, taking her hand. “Let’s walk. I want to make sure I have enough energy to get us away from danger.”

   The two of them left the house, the chilly air hitting them instantly. Sans wasn’t affected, but Frisk couldn’t help but shiver. The wind wasn’t as strong as usual, so they were able to see the other Snowdin folks strolling through the town. Frisk kept her head down, as Sans guided her quickly to the river person. When they reached the docking area, Sans payed the river person and they boarded the boat.

   “Where will we go today?” The river person asked.

   “Waterfall please.”

   Without any further questions, the boat began to move towards Waterfall. Frisk sat there next to Sans, hands still together.

   “Tra la la. Beware the man who speaks in hands.”

   Soon enough the boat had docked, and Frisk could already feel the temperature difference between Snowdin and Waterfall.  Sans paid the river person as Frisk climbed out of the boat and firmly planted her feet on the wet soil beneath her. The two of them casually strolled their way through Waterfall and made it to the dump.

   “Let’s see what cool stuff we can find.” Sans declared. Carefully sloshing through rain water and debris, they started to scavenge. Sans searched through the random objects, uncovering old and used objects from the surface world.

   “It’s kind of sad to see how much trash ends up down here.” Frisk noted as she moved a damaged box fan to the side. “Some of this stuff could have been salvageable.”

  “It is salvageable.” Sans said while moving a rusted typewriter to the bottom of the trash mound. “At least to us.”

   “So…What are you hoping to find anyways?” Frisk asked, chucking vacuum cleaner parts over her head.

   “Something that we can’t buy in the stores.”

   Frisk wasn’t sure why Sans was being so vague. He kept dodging the question every time, so she decided to just keep her curiosity to herself. She mostly found plastic bits and containers, along with other common trash but every once and a while she’d spot something else. She dug through toys, books, tools, silverware, electronics, lamps, broken chairs, dead batteries, sports equipment- you name it. It was fascinating, yet also strangely disturbing.

   “Score!” Sans shouted, over a trash pile.

   “What’d you find?” Frisk asked, trudging closer to Sans. A wooden baluster was peaking through the garbage, surprising Frisk. “A baluster?”

   “No, not a baluster silly. Here. Help me pull this thing out.” Sans said. Without further delay, Frisk firmly gripped the oak bars and pulled, taken aback by its heaviness. Sans pulled with all his might, managing to free it from its burial.

   A headboard. A small one for sure, but still in good condition.

   “Figured we can get you a bed soon. Now we just need the box spring and the frame.”

   Frisk couldn’t help but well up with tears of joy and immense gratitude. Sans gently put the headboard down just in time for him to be tackle-hugged by Frisk. She buried her face in his t-shirt, refusing to let go.

   “Thank you dad…thank you.”

   Sans swore he felt his own soul swell with happiness. He felt an overwhelming amount of love flood over him, and he wanted nothing more than to return that love and protect his daughter from all the evils in the world.

   And he was going to start with finding the other pieces to her bed.

   The two of them remained at the dump until they heard someone’s footsteps splashing in the bodies of water close to them. Without taking any chances, Sans quick teleported the headboard to the shed, back to Frisk, and out of the dump. They touched ground close to Gerson’s shop.

   Frisk glanced over and saw Sans leaning over, hands on his knees, out of breath, eye producing a concerning amount of blue smoke. Frisk slowly walked in front of him, trying to get a closer look. His right hand suddenly was pressed against his Megalovania Eye, his smile morphed into a grimace.

   **“Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow…sssssstt….agh…”** He hissed. Frisk tugged onto his arm, worry taking over.

   “Sans?” She called out nervously. “Wh-what happened...?”

   Sans was silent for a bit, hand still against his eye. The smoke slowly died out, and finally he was able to stand upright. He let out a relieved sigh, removing his hand to reveal that his eye lights had returned back to its normal white dots.

   “I’m okay…I’m okay.” He reassured. “Too much teleporting.”

   “O-oh. Ok. Please don’t push yourself like that anymore. I don’t like seeing you get hurt.” Frisk pleaded. Sans nodded and gave her a quick side hug.

  “Don’t worry. I’m good.” He soothed. “Now,” He said suddenly moving on. “Let’s see what Gerson has for us.”

   Frisk nodded, still a bit fazed by Sans’ episode, but trusted not to worry about it too much. They both entered the store and was greeted by the old war veteran standing behind the counter.

   “Well, well. Look who we have here. If it ain’t Sans The Comic!” He hooted. Sans smiled warmly. Gerson was a monster who practically radiated positivity and silliness. It was contagious.

   “Heya Gerson. Long time no see.” Sans replied.

   “Good to see you sonny! And I see you’ve brought a little one?” the wise turtle noted. Frisk awkwardly tugged the hood over her face.

   “She’s a bit shy.” Sans explained.

   “Really now…? Hmm…” Gerson mumbled taking a closer look at her. “Uh-huh. Just as I suspected. You’ve brought a human down here haven’t you Sans?”

   Sans and Frisk both stiffened uncomfortably at their spots.

   “You can’t fool me. Now I may be an old geezer, but my eyes and memory haven’t failed me yet. I was in the war against humans and monsters. I should know. Now what makes you think it’d be okay to bring one all the way down here? I take it that the king doesn’t know about this, right?” He questioned.

   Sans nodded reluctantly.

   “She doesn’t mean any harm Gerson. She’s defenseless. She’ll die here if I don’t look after her.”

   Gerson was silent for a bit. He stroked his white-haired goatee before talking.

   “Calm down. I ain’t a snitch.”

   Frisk and Sans let out a relieved sigh.

   “I’ve deal with a lot of humans on the surface world. As far as I can tell, I don’t sense any evil within this child. I also trust you Sans. You’re an honest monster with a good heart. I won’t rat you out to the Royal Guard.” He promised.

   “…Thanks Gerson. That really means a lot.” Sans responded.

   “I hope you do however get things settled with those folk up at the capital…Well, anyway, it’s none of my business.“ He leaned over the counter, magnifying glass in his hand. “What’s your name little one? And what brings you to my shop?” He wondered, returning to his goofy nature.

   “My name’s Frisk. I think Sans wants to buy something here.” She answered politely.

   “Is that so? Well if he’s looking for something then he’s come to the right place! Wahaha!” He bellowed, showcasing the items in his shop. The shelves behind him were crowded with refurbished items found from the dump.

   “Sweet. Alright, first order of business, Gerson do you have any clothes that might fit Frisk? Especially anything to keep her warm.” He asked. Gerson turned around and began to search.

   “Hmm. I believe so…Kinda tough…we have plenty of clothing but for a skinny bean like her…now let’s see…” He muttered while rummaging through his wares. “Aha!” Gerson turned around with a stack of warm sweaters, coats and long sleeve shirts. “See if those fit.” Gerson said returning to the shelf. He gradually pulled out a few pairs of pants, socks, underwear and shoes. “See if those pants and sweaters fit.”

   As Sans measured the shirts on Frisk, Gerson searched for more things.

   “A little big.”

   “Too small.”

   “There’s no sleeves on this one…”

   “This one’s good.”

   “This one too.”

   “Nope.”

   “I like these.”

   “These are good too.”

   Slowly but surely, they had collected a pile of clothes that she liked and had fit her too. They kept it on the counter, as Gerson prepared everything to checkout.

   “Oh, and also do you have any sketch books? Any art supplies?” Sans wondered.

   “Yep, hang on a second.” Gerson turned around and traveled towards the bottom shelves. He picked up a pencil box full of supplies, along with a thin sketchbook. He blew the dust off it and put it next to the clothes. Frisk’s eyes lit with appreciation.

   “Anything else?”

   “Nope. That’s it for now. We’ll probably be back tomorrow anyways.” Sans admitted. Gerson laughed heartily.

   “Wahaha! Okay then lad! Then you’re total will be-“

   They heard someone enter the shop, causing the three of them to freeze in their spots upon hearing the loud voice that spoke.

   “Hey Gerson! What’s going-“

   Time had seemed to stop when Undyne, dressed in her full armor, had spotted Frisk next to Sans. She shook her head, snapping out of her state of shock.

   “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!” She hollered. Sans snapped his head towards Frisk. She was terrified.

   Suddenly the world around Sans and Undyne faded into black, as he triggered a fight with her. Before she had time to react, he promptly used his blue magic, shoved Undyne away from the door, knocking her over and ended the battle before she could do anything about it.

   “RUN!” Sans commanded as he grabbed Frisk’s hand and hurriedly ran out of Gerson’s shop. Their shoes sunk into the wet gravel beneath their feet as they could hear Undyne cursing up a storm in the distance. As they bolted down the winding paths of Waterfall, they heard Undyne’s metal boots stomping on the ground.

   “SANS THE SKELETON YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW BY ORDER OF CAPTAIN UNDYNE!”

   Sans could feel his sweat dripping down his forehead. Not good. Not. Good. He had to get back to Snowdin. Put some distance between them.

   “Come on sweetheart. Shortcut time.”

   He suddenly pulled Frisk towards a corner, instantly leaping through time and ending up towards the entrance of Waterfall. Still not as far as he wished, but enough that he wouldn’t accidentally injure himself again.

   “ _I SWEAR TO ASGORE SANS, I WILL BEAT YOU INTO A DUSTY PULP WHEN I FIND YOU!”_

   Her voice was echoing throughout all of Waterfall, Sans was a bit worried she’d cause some sort of rockfall.

   But that wasn’t his main concern. He could hear poor Frisk becoming winded, panting heavily after the teleportation. He used the last bit of his stamina and lifted her onto his shoulders.

   “Hold on.” He warned, running through the rest of Waterfall. The damp weather was changing into a cold front, and he could tell he was almost home. A heavy mist clouded his vision, and when they got out, they were greeted with bunny monsters and snow.

   “Yes-yes-yes-yes!” Sans chanted finally reaching the door and setting Frisk down. He reached for his key, bursting through the front door, and slamming it behind him and locking it. He heard Papyrus yelp in the kitchen, along with the sound of silverware dropping. He remained leaned against the door as Papyrus came to investigate the racket.

   “Ugh! Brother! You scared the pasta out of me! What’s wrong with you today?” He chided.

   “Pap! No time to explain. I need you to go upstairs and hide with Fris-“

   The front door he was leaning on made a loud bang, as a metal boot struck it directly at the center. The three of them made a short-startled scream in response.

   “OPEN UP!” Undyne hollered angrily continuing to bang at the door. Sans and Frisk felt her kick the door again, noticing the looseness coming from the locks being undone.

   Sans cursed under his breath and pulled Frisk away from the door. There was no time to hide anymore.

   Finally, with one last kick, the door flew open, revealing a very furious fish monster. After a few seconds of tense silence, she very slowly marched up to Sans. He instinctively pulled Frisk close behind him, protecting her from whatever Undyne’s wrath had to offer.

   “Hand over the human.” She demanded, growing closer.

   “Gonna have to stop you right there pal.” Sans warned. His left hand reached behind him holding onto Frisk while his right hand was put up defensively. She didn’t listen. Instead, she grew closer, just inches away from Sans when she decided to stop.

   “Sans The Skeleton. Hand over the human now and maybe you won’t be put behind bars.” She threatened.

   “I won’t.”

   “As part of your duty as sentry, you are to report any signs of a human in the underground. What you are doing is considered treason. So step aside, and hand them over, and nobody will be punished.”

   Sans shook his head, as both Frisk and Papyrus gulped nervously in the background.

   “Frisk isn’t like the others Undyne. She’s harmless. She isn’t evil. I’ve never seen her hurt a fly.” He protested.

   “Doesn’t matter. A human is a human after all.”

   “Undyne don’t!” Papyrus pleaded. “Frisk may be a human, but we can be a good influence on her!”

   “You stay out of this!” Undyne hissed, pointing a finger at Papyrus. “You’re in just as much trouble as your brother for helping him.”

   “I wanted to do the right thing Undyne. I still do! But…” Papyrus glanced over to Frisk, who was silently watching the whole situation unravel. “But I feel like protecting this tiny human _is_ the right thing to do.”

   Undyne made a very impatient huff of air.

   “Have you two lost your mind? That is the seventh and final human soul we need to free all of monsterkind! Why is this brat so damn important to you?! I mean, how long has she been living here?! I saw you in Gerson’s shop buying her clothes and toys. And she’s even wearing your jacket and gloves for Pete’s sake!” She pointed out. “Why would you risk so much over an insignificant thing?”

   **“Frisk is _not_ insignificant, so you better fucking take that back right now.” **Sans exploded.

   Undyne and Papyrus’ eyes widened in shock, the whole house falling silent at his outburst. Sans’ eye crackled with blue magic, but still found it within himself to restrain it. Frisk tugged on his hand, alerting his attention. He glanced behind him to look at her but was only met with worried eyes.

   “Please…don’t fight.” She softly begged. Upon seeing her, Sans immediately calmed himself down. He sighed heavily, returning to Undyne, while subtly squeezing her hand back in gratitude.

    “Look…Undyne…I’m sorry. But Frisk means too much to me to hand her over and get slaughtered by Asgore. If you’re going to take her away, then I’ll be going with her too.”

   Undyne seemed pensive as Papyrus shifted uncomfortably.

   “…C’mon. You don’t want to fight a 1 HP monster and a little girl do you?”

   Undyne frowned still trapped in deep thought until finally she grunted.

   “Hmph. Fine. Stay with the human. Betray your people for selfish reasons. Keep us all trapped down here and let us suffer some more why don’t you. It’s not like you’d want to do the right thing anyways. Very well then. I won’t capture you, puny human. But I will be reporting this straight to the king. Don’t be surprised if you get an unexpected visit from him.” Undyne said ominously. She turned her back, not bothering to look any of them in the eye.

   “Traitors.”

   That was the last thing she muttered before slamming the door behind her. As soon as she left, they all took a collective sigh of relief. Frisk stepped out from behind Sans, finally having the courage to do so after Undyne left.

   “You alright baby bones?” He asked. Frisk nodded.

   “Yeah I’m okay. Thanks to you guys.”

   “Nyehehe. No worries human. Undyne can get a little hot headed sometimes. I’m sure she’ll come back around.” Papyrus added. Sans smiled a bittersweet smile and patted Frisk on the head.

   “Undyne is wrong. We aren’t cowardly or selfish. Sometimes doing the right thing is harder than doing what is expected.”

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this chapter! Thank you all so much for reading. This one was a whopping ten pages long. I'm trying to post these chapters a little more frequently so hopefully within time I'll get back into the swing of things. This chapter is probably one of my favorites actually, so I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. Stay cool!  
> ~CB


	3. King of Monsters

   That night, Papyrus let Frisk sleep on the couch. They both agreed that it was too dangerous to let her sleep outside in the shed for the second night in a row.

   “We’ll get the stuff we left at Gerson’s tomorrow.” Sans reassured Frisk while tucking her in. Papyrus stood close by, silently watching him.

   “Undyne seemed really upset.” Frisk brought up.

   “Don’t worry too much about her. She said some mean stuff, but she’ll get over it within time. You’re a pretty likeable person Frisk.” He reassured her. “Anyways…it’s not up to her. It’s up to Asgore.” He concluded.

   “That’s right. The king has the final say!” Papyrus chimed. Frisk nodded. She shouldn’t worry too much. She made it through the underground all by herself before. This run should be easier considering she had more allies to start off with.

   But in the back of her mind, there was something bothering her. Flowey was still alive. Chara hadn’t said a peep to her. And there was something ominous in the air around them that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

   It could just be paranoia. Sans said he would help her with whatever troubles were to come. At least she could count on him.

   She sighed and gave Sans a weak smile.

   “Right. Let’s do all that tomorrow.”

~---~

   Heavy metal boots clanked loudly against the ground, echoing through the caverns of Waterfall. Gerson waited patiently for her to enter, as he calmly poured a cup of tea on the counter. He drank it slowly as Undyne stormed in, walking straight towards the ‘employees only’ area, away from Gerson’s sight.

   “Guess you lost ‘em?” He finally spoke up. There was a sudden crashing of metal in the back room as she growled angrily.

   “No. I didn’t.” She answered sharply. “I know exactly where they are. I could drag them out of Snowdin right now if I wanted to.”

   “So why didn’t you?” Gerson asked leaning his arms against the counter.

   “Why didn’t you tell me they were here Gerson?” She demanded quickly changing the subject.

   “They came about ten minutes before you got here.” He replied truthfully.

   “Ten minutes too late. You should have alerted the Royal Guard right when you saw the human.” Undyne scolded as she rushed out of the supply room.

   “She was with Sans.” He added nonchalantly.

   “Sans has been keeping her under his care for who knows how long! He is a traitor to our kind-“

    “Now listen here whippersnapper, I don’t want to hear that kind of nonsense in my presence!” He shouted, shutting Undyne up. “Traitor? Sans ain’t no traitor. Traitors only think about themselves, y’hear?”

  “And? Do you think Sans is doing the right thing here?” She disputed. Gerson took a long drink from his hot tea before setting it down and speaking.

   “Are _you_?”

   Undyne became quiet for a moment before responding.

   “Yes.” She answered decidedly. When Gerson didn’t say anything, she thought over her answer again. “Yes…” She said with less confidence. “I-I mean, that kid is the seventh human soul! She’s our ticket to freedom..!”

   He took another sip.

  “And what do you think Sans is gainin’ by protecting that little girl? You think he wants money? An offer from the king? Maybe fame?” Gerson proposed. Undyne frowned.

   “Uh…maybe? Sans is weird.”

   Gerson took another sip from his tea.

   “Or did ya’ ever stop to consider that maybe he cares about her?”

   Undyne shut her mouth. Her face became puzzled as her eyes gazed at the stack of clothing piled on Gerson’s desk.

   “Quit being such a hothead Undyne. It’s clouding your vision and your judgement.” He shut down. “All this ramblin’ about ‘being free’ and ‘getting justice’, but you were about to go out there and take that kid’s life. Now tell me. Who’s the real savage? The humans…or us?”

   Undyne froze, unsure of what to say. Instead of arguing with him, she sat down on a chair not saying a word.

   “You told me that sometimes we have to make difficult decisions for what is right.” She recalled.

   “And that’s all Sans is doing. Making a difficult choice- just like you. It’s a war Undyne. There is no ‘right side’.”

   “But this choice could benefit thousands of monster lives.” She retorted. Gerson shrugged as he drank the remainder of his tea.

   “And that choice lies within you. Do you want to kill an innocent child for the sake of others? Is that the hero you want to be?”

   Undyne’s face became guilt ridden. She could picture the hurt in Frisk’s eyes. That child…what was up with her? Humans were supposed to be vengeful and coldblooded killers. Why did she see the guilt in her face? The same look that Undyne herself felt when she was a child. An anguished kid, burdened with too much at an early age. She understood it too well. It was almost like looking in a mirror to her past self.

   That pain had healed when Gerson adopted her and raised her as his own. Seeing Sans stand protectively in front of the frightened girl, holding onto her for dear life…it resonated within her heart. It was just like her.

   Exactly like her.

   Undyne sighed in defeat.

   “Pour me some tea.”

   And without any further questions, he did.

~---~

   The next day, Frisk woke up with a heavy blanket over her body, and the faint buzz of the TV playing, and the clinking of dishes bumping together in the kitchen. She yawned and slowly sat up, noticing Sans sitting on the end of the couch.

   “Good morning.” He greeted cheerfully. Frisk rubbed her eyes.

   “Good morning…How long was I out?” She asked eyes still shut.

   “A little while. You got a full night’s rest at least.” Sans answered. “Don’t worry about it.”

   Truthfully, Sans was a bit worried by how utterly exhausted his daughter was. He didn’t remember her being this tired before. Her physical condition was in worse condition than he realized. The book’s he borrowed from the librarby said that children needed lots of rest. He figured that she didn’t get much sleep before she came into the underground, and she was finally making up for it now.

   She was still skinny as a stick, and a little pale too. Probably from the hunger and malnourishment. It made him feel a mixture of emotions just thinking about it. Sometimes he was angry. How could a person do that to a defenseless kid? Let alone their own mother. Sometimes it made him unbearably heartbroken. She had to live under those conditions for who knows how long. It was hard to witness, and Sans had to try his best not let her know that he was concerned. The books said that parental figures can unintentionally transmit their anxiety and worries to their children. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to add another problem to her list.

   He was going to do his best to help her.

   “You feelin’ okay kiddo?” Sans asked in a soft voice. She nodded affirmatively, eyes now open as she shook off her sleepiness. “Kay. I worry about you sometimes sweetie.” He admitted.

   Frisk smiled slightly. “Thanks. I’m okay though. I’d be better if we talked to Asgore.”

   Sans chuckled lightly.

   “I guess we better get up then, huh?”

   Sans stood up first, then held out his hand for Frisk to take. She accepted it, and they both sluggishly walked towards the kitchen to see Papyrus preparing a meal.

   “Ah- human! About time you woke up! You’re even worse than Sans when it comes to sleeping! But, fear not. For I am preparing a hearty breakfast to wake you up and give you energy! Nyehehe!”

~---~

   After breakfast, everyone got dressed, ready to head out.

   “Well, me and the kiddo are heading to the capital. What are you gonna do?” Sans asked his brother.

   “I don’t know. I guess I’ll just recalibrate some puzzles while you’re gone. If I see anymore humans, I’ll be sure to bring them to you Sans!” He reassured. Sans laughed awkwardly.

   “Heh…If that happens, let me know.”

   His brother gave him a solute, and away Sans and Frisk went, teleporting to New Home. They touched ground, and they were immediately greeted with the sight of tall ancient buildings in the distance. They were old, but the structures reached out as far as the eye could see. As they walked on the path hand in hand, Frisk spoke up.

   “Hey Sans..? How come you don’t live in New Home?” She wondered.

   “Eh. It’s too boring here. I like a little excitement in my life.” He answered. “It’s all politics here. Nothing ever interesting happens. Plus, there’s no Grillby’s.”

   Frisk giggled. “Hotland is pretty exciting. Why not there?”

   “Too fancy. Too hot. And like I said,” He paused dramatically. “No Grillby’s.”

    Frisk laughed again while shaking her head. “You and your Grillby’s. You could just teleport.”

    “But then that wouldn’t be convenient now would it?”

    They both stopped their banter when they stood before the castle entrance. They became quiet before entering.

   “Welp. Here we are.” Sans stated. Frisk nodded, while swallowing nervously.

   “Let’s go.”

   They both walked in, pushing the doors open and letting it slam behind them as they entered Judgement Hall.

   They were both quiet as they slowly walked together, nerves at an all time high. Sans never liked this room. Not ever. It was a shame really. The hall was such a beautiful place, but too many bad memories made it unbearable to view. His bones became whiter as his mind raced with a million thoughts. He hadn’t realized that they stopped holding hands, as images of Frisk’s lifeless body flashed into his brain. Cold. Gasping for air. Pools of thick crimson blood staining the floor. His own attacks pierced and impaled through her entire body. Red dripping off the pearl white femurs as her health drained to zero. Again. Then again. Then again…

   His breathing hitched, and he felt sick to his stomach- well, if he had one. He turned to look at Frisk, who wasn’t doing so hot herself. She was trembling, and her eyes were fearful. It was clear she remembered, as tears developed in the corners of her eyes. Images of murder and rage popped into her head, recalling to when she struck and killed every living being in the underground. Small whimpers and sad choked up noises escaped her mouth, echoing slightly in the space surrounding them.

   **“Come on…it’s okay, just keep walk-“** Sans paused to fix his unsteady voice. **“-Keep walking…”**

   They hastily walked towards the end of Judgement Hall, feeling nothing but their sins crawling on their backs. In the dull, gray corridor ahead, away from the oranges and yellows of the painted glass windows, they paused to grab their bearings. Sans let out a shaky sigh, squatting down to Frisk’s height. She sobbed out loud, tears finally running down her face.

   **“Oh sweetheart…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”** He apologized, voice barely above a whisper. He gently pulled her into a hug, letting the tears soak into his shirt, and her guilty cries shake his frame. **“It’s okay…shhhh…shhhh….It’s alright…that was a different timeline…it’s okay…”**

It took a while for the two of them to calm down. Sans still felt nauseous but at least Frisk’s crying was dying down. Being hemophobic came with its own challenges, and this certainly wasn’t the first time he experienced a triggering flashback like this. He at least knew how to handle it if it were happen. Frisk…not so much.

   Luckily, her tears eventually stopped, and she pulled away from his hug while sniffing and wiping the leftover drops.

   “Better..?” Sans asked. She nodded.

   “Let’s not do that again…Walking through there, I mean.” She clarified. Sans stood up from his squatting position and up onto his two feet.

   “Yeah.”

   He held out his hand, and Frisk grabbed it strolling down the hallway.

   “Still want to do this?” He asked her. She wiped away any evidence of tears on her face and nodded.

   “The sooner we talk to him, the sooner we go home.” She murmured.

   They approached the throne room and entered.

   Hundreds of buttercups were blooming from in between the cracks in the floor. The room was lit up with sunlight which poured in from the windows. The king’s chair was empty, with the purple cushions visibly embroidered with the royal emblem. Toriel’s seat, was moved to the back of the room, covered in a white sheet, partially hidden in the shadows.

   And of course, as expected, the king was waiting there, his back facing towards them, as he watered the flowers surrounding them. His large purple cape flowed behind him, making him appear much larger than actually was.

   “…Hello your majesty.” Sans spoke up, alerting his attention. He turned around slowly, smiling kindly once he saw him.

   “Howdy Sans! What brings you-“

   He froze upon gazing at Frisk, who was standing beside him.

   “…oh.” He said quietly. They both shifted uncomfortably in their spots.

   “Undyne told me that I would be seeing a human today. She didn’t say who’d bring them though…” He explained. “Very well…Then, thank you Sans. You can go now.” He said gently. Sans shook his head.

   “Um…actually your majesty…can we sit down and talk about some things?” He requested. Asgore tilted his head in confusion at first.

   “Well…sure Sans. If you have some things to discuss then…by all means.” He accepted.

~---~

   The three of them sat together at a table inside Asgore’s home, close by the kitchen and the fireplace in the living room. Asgore made some tea for the three of them, and they both politely drank it as Asgore got himself situated in a chair.

   “So…” Asgore started, “What did you want to talk about? I’m sure it has something to do with this human child you’ve brought me.” He asked cutting to the chase.

   Sans locked eyes with Frisk.

     He was nervous.

    It wasn’t so much that he was afraid of Asgore per say. It was more that he was afraid of the power he possessed over the monster population. After all, it was his call that could change everything. His word. Not his own.

   He stared into Frisk’s worried brown eyes. This kid…

   This kid had been through it all. Neglect, abuse, depression, racism, bullying, sickness- even death. And here she was today, sitting next to him, trying to sort things out again. Frisk was Sans’ motivation. The reason he got out of bed. The reason he was doing _any_ of this. She deserved something good in her life for once.

   And by Stars, Sans was going to make sure that she got it.

   He swallowed his fears, reluctance and uncertainty, and he spoke-

   “This…is Frisk. Frisk, this is Asgore. He’s our king.” Sans introduced. Frisk played dumb, and pretended to know nothing, just as she did with Papyrus. She reached over and held out her hand for him to shake. Asgore smiled slightly and reached out and shook her hand in response.

   “Pleasure to meet you.” He said. They both settled back into their seats, hands returning to their laps.

   “I found her a while ago. I’m sorry it took so long for you to finally see her.” He admitted.

   “That’s quite alright. I’m glad you are here now, and that you have told me the truth.” Asgore replied.

   “Your majesty…” Sans brought up, voice becoming very serious. “We both know what happens next, if I hand her over.”

   Asgore’s face became more somber, and his true age showed in his tired eyes.

   “Yes.” He simply said.

   “But…” Sans said, fist clenched into a tight ball. “I can’t do that.”

   The king looked at him with sad eyes.

   “I can’t do it. She means too much to me.”

   “Sans…we warned you when you became a sentry that you would have to-“

   **“I know.”** He cut off, voice shaky. **“I know that it’s our duty. I know that we need her to free us all. I know Asgore. I know.”** He shut his eyes tightly as he spoke.

   **“But I consider Frisk as my own child…And I can’t just hand her over and let her get killed.”**

Asgore was taken aback by the statement. His eyes grew wide in surprise, and he set down the cup of tea he was drinking on the table. Even Frisk was surprised that he admitted to it.

   “You didn’t give up Frisk because you grew attached to her.” He concluded. Sans opened his eyes and nodded.

   “I now see what caused your reluctance to be here. I would do the same if it were my own child.” He honestly said. His eyes again, reflected his troubled soul. “Look Sans…I don’t want to have to take another human life. Especially one that means so much to you. I couldn’t possibly do it. I’ve already done so much harm than good. I already have six souls. I don’t want it to be in vain but-“

   He glanced over at Frisk.

   “I can’t do it either. I don’t have the cruelty in my heart.”

   They all became silent at the dilemma in their hands.

   “It’s sad. I’ve killed six children and I’ve hidden it from the entire underground as best as I could. I don’t deserve to be called a king. I’m a liar…and I’m a murderer. I didn’t even get to know their names…”

   The king was tearing up, as he covered his eyes with a furry paw to avoid being seen in such a pitiful state. “…but I can never forget their faces.”

   Before the king could really start crying, he sniffed, wiped the tears at the corners of his eyes, and pulled himself together.

   “I’m sorry. You didn’t tell me this to see me breakdown I’m sure…How pathetic…”

   “No, no, it’s not. I don’t envy you your majesty. I mean…how can anyone do it? It’s difficult to think about. Let alone actually go through with it.” Sans consoled. Asgore nodded slowly as Frisk drank her tea guiltily.

    “Thank you, Sans. And thank you for talking me out of taking another soul.”

   Sans let out a small breath of relief. “It’s no problem Asgore. Thank you for listening to our plea…” He said staring back at Frisk.

   She looked a little bit better.

   “What are we going to do now?” Sans asked curiously.

   “We stay here. Unless one of us is brave enough to absorb a soul and cross over. But then we’d have to convince them to break the barrier. It seems like that won’t be happening for a while…” He explained. Sans nodded.

   “I see…well…we seem to be doing okay down here. Maybe the surface can wait. Humans are a little scary anyways. Let’s give it some time before we decide anything.” Sans recommended.

   “Yes…It’s our only option anyways.”

  

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me long enough! :D
> 
> Springtime is always such a hectic period in my life, but it's all finally winding down. (Oh thank god). I've been focusing more on school and whatnot, and I've even been trying to get a job so it's been pretty crazy. Not only that, but my health has been a little weird too. (It's all good though.)
> 
> Sans and Frisk finally got to visit Asgore and hash things out. He's not as stubborn/ ruthless as Undyne, so it was fairly easy to convince him. (It was too bad that Undyne saw them before Asgore did, haha.) We'll see what's in store for the two of them in the next chapter. :P
> 
> Anyways, thank you all so much for waiting patiently. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you all for the comments and kudos. (You guys are really sweet.)  
> Stay cool!  
> ~CB


	4. Detached

   After their confrontation with Asgore, Sans and Frisk finally decided to go back to Gerson’s shop and pick up their stuff.  As they entered, the old turtle greeted them yet again.

  “Would ya look at that! You two came back!” He hooted.

   “Of course.” Sans stated nonchalantly. They leaned closer to the counter.

   “Saved your stuff from getting taken. Glad to see that Undyne didn’t scare you away.” He noted. As he spoke, he reached behind a desk and grabbed two large bags filled with their stuff.

   “Thanks Gerson. How much do I owe you?” he asked.

   “500g.”

   “Gotcha.”

   Sans payed the veteran and picked up both the bags in his hands.

   “Have you spoken to the king yet?” He asked.

   “We just got back from the castle actually.” Sans informed.

   “Ah…And how’d that go?”

   “Fairly well. He says that Frisk can stay as long as she abides to underground law.” He summed up.

   “That’s fair.” Gerson agreed. He turned his head towards the back room. “You hear that Undyne?”

   Metal boots could be heard clinking towards them. Undyne stepped out from the stock room and approached Sans. The atmosphere around them became tense as they both locked eyes. As Gerson carefully eyed the two, Frisk shifted uncomfortably behind Sans.

   “Yeah. Lucky you.” Undyne flatly said glaring harshly at Frisk. Sans stepped closer to Frisk in a protective manner without breaking eye contact with Undyne.

   “Sans…” Frisk mumbled not wanting a fight to break out between them.

   “Undyne. I need you to listen carefully…” Sans said slowly. “I care about Frisk. A lot.” He emphasized while taking a quick glance at her. “If you do anything to hurt her…hehehe…” he laughed.  It was low and quiet, giving them sinister undertones. “Well let’s hope it won’t come down to that.”

   Frisk shivered from the subtle threat. Sans could be really scary sometimes.

   Undyne however was not fazed by his warning. She simply crossed her arms and leaned closer.

   “And if _your_ little brat hurts someone, then _I’m_ going to hurt _them_.” She challenged.

   Frisk gulped.

   “Undyne lay off…” Gerson mediated.

   Sans stared back at her, face blank, with no emotion.  It was cold, and not at all happy with her remark.

   “Is that-“

   “Sans stop it.”

   The words spilling out of his mouth halted as Frisk walked in front of him.

   “Just stop…” she begged, voice a whisper.  The anger in him quelled, and he was able to calm down.

   Frisk turned to Undyne.

   “That’s fair. If I do anything you can hold me accountable.” Frisk agreed. She held out her hand, waiting for the warrior’s response.

   Gerson and Undyne both looked pleasantly surprised.

   “Yeah…! Okay.  We’ve got a deal then.” Undyne accepted, firmly shaking Frisk’s hand. She let go and turned back around and into the stock room.

   Frisk sighed and turned to Sans who hadn’t said a word.

   “Let’s go…  She said softly. Sans sighed as well and nodded.

   “Well, at least you two have made a compromise.” Gerson said. “Undyne can get a little defensive.  Once you get to know her, she’ll start to warm up to you.”

   Frisk nodded.

   “Thank you Gerson.” She said.

   “Yeah.  Thank you.” Sans added.

   “It’s no problem.”

   The two of them left the store and began to walk home.  As they walked, Frisk focused on the sound of her feet sinking into the gravel path. They were silent for a minute before Sans spoke.

   “Are you mad at me?” He asked.

   “No, no-how could I be mad at you for trying to protect me?” She wondered.

   “Then…What’s up…?  You didn’t seem too thrilled back there.” He noticed.

   “… The way you reacted…” she mumbled. Sans stopped in his tracks, turning his full attention to her. “Undyne is our friend Sans. I really thought you two were going to fight. I’m not worth fighting over. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me, and I don’t want Undyne or anyone else to get hurt either.”

   Sans noticed her eyes becoming glassy, and her voice quivered ever so slightly. He felt a twinge of guilt ache in his soul, and decided to squat down to her level.

   “I feel like…like I messed everything up. We were all so happy and such close friends on the surface…n-now things are different.” She pointed out. “I messed up everything.”

   Sans gently scooped Frisk into a hug. She leaned into him as she sniffed up her developing tears.

   “You _are_ worth fighting for.” He said softly. “And you didn’t ‘mess everything up’, okay? It’s gonna be a little tough. Just until Undyne and some of the other monsters get used to you. Until then, you’ll have to forgive your old pop for being a little mean if someone looks at you the wrong way. I’m…” He trailed off. “I’m scared that someone’ll really hurt you. And I’m scared of losing you. So, I’m doing everything in my power to prevent that from happening.” He admitted.

   Frisk became quiet.

   “Everything needs time. This whole timeline is a bit wacky. Anything could happen.”

   And there was still a certain flower on the loose. Sans couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was being watched. That fucking flower. He had to admit that he was a bit paranoid on what he would do this time.

   He hated it. But he didn’t mention it to her. The last thing she needed was more burdens to carry. He would take this one on his own.

   “Y…yeah. Anything could happen.” She eventually agreed. They separated from the hug as she gave Sans a weak smile.

   “Anyways…how about we put on your new coat? We’re going to enter Snowdin in a bit.” He offered. He reached into the paper bags and pulled it out. Frisk shrugged off Sans’ jacket and handed it back to him. He put on his jacket and sighed contently. He felt less exposed now.

   He helped Frisk put her arms in the sleeves and zipped it up for her. The light pink looked adorable on her.

   “Thanks.”

   And together they walked back into Snowdin, and into the house. The warmth from inside quickly melted the cold from Frisk’s ears and nose. She carefully took off her jacket and neatly hung it up by the door.

   “Broooo, I’m home.” Sans sang out. Papyrus stuck his head out from the kitchen and smiled.

   “Brother! Good to see you and Frisk safely home!” He cheered. “And I see you went to Gerson’s!”

   Sans proudly showcased the bags in his hand.

   “Oh! And, if you’re not busy Sans, can we speak for a moment?” Papyrus wondered. Sans looked at Frisk, to which she nodded encouragingly.

   “Wait for me on the couch.” He called after. When she was out of earshot, Papyrus’ peppy facial expression shifted into a more serious one.

   “Brother…Have you heard about what’s going on in the underground?”

   “No..? What?” Sans asked.

   “Apparently there’s a suspicious person roaming the streets. Monsters have reported sightings of it but no one has ever gotten a good look of its face.”

   “Uh…Okaaaay..?” Sans skeptically noted. “Is this like a bigfoot sighting or something?”

   “Brother!” Papyrus complained.

   “Alright, alright…” Sans surrendered.

   “Well, I wanted to tell you that I saw a glimpse of it.”

   Sans went quiet for a moment.

   “Was it that flower friend of yours?”

   Papyrus had told him once that he made friends with a flower. It didn’t take long for Sans to connect the dots and figure out that it was Flowey. Their friendship was worrisome to say the least, but it let Sans gain a little insight about the demonic plant. The possibility of Flowey following them sounded more frightening than their friendship together.

   “No. It didn’t look like my flower friend at all. It was tall. And it had a lot of black and white. I had the most ominous feeling of being watched…” he recalled, shivering slightly.

   Sans wasn’t sure to be relieved or more concerned.

   “Where’d you see them?”

   “In Waterfall. But some monsters reported seeing them in Hotland and Snowdin.”

   “Hm.” Sans muttered shortly. He glanced back at Frisk who was laying down on the couch relaxing. He did have the feeling of being watched in Waterfall just as Papyrus described, but he figured it was paranoia of Undyne. He didn’t like the idea of an unidentified stranger prowling around.

   “Keep an eye socket out for them. I’ll do the same.” Sans informed.

   “I will. Please be careful when you go out.” His brother pleaded.

   He nodded in confirmation and went back to the couch.

   Frisk sat up and scooted over to give Sans some room to sit. He lazily threw himself into the cushions while letting out a content sigh.

   “Here you go sweet pea.” He said while reaching into the bags. He took out her drawing notebook, to which she smiled slightly. As she carefully removed the extra packaging and stickers, Papyrus popped in. He leaned against the wall close to the kitchen with a wooden spoon partially covered in what appeared to be tomato sauce.

   “While I was about, I visited the dump and found something you might want.”

   He put down the sauce-covered spoon and made a beeline towards his room upstairs. They heard some disgruntled noises and he was soon walking back down with a hunk of metal in his arms. He struggled to carry it, but eventually reached the bottom of the steps and set it down.

   “I found a heater…so you can put it in your room in the shed!...When it’s done of course.” He explained.

   They were both taken aback. Sans had gotten up from the couch and walked over to touch it. He ran his fingers over it admiring the smoothness. He was impressed that he found it in such good condition- and at the garbage dump no less.

   “Does it work?” Frisk wondered.

   “I can assure you that it is in perfect working order. I tested it out. It doesn’t pose any risk for a fire hazard if that’s what you are worried about.” Papyrus answered confidently.

   “Awesome! Nice find Papyrus.” Sans congratulated.

   “Do you mind helping me move it when you get the chance?” Papyrus asked.

   “Sure, but I can just-“

   Sans laid his hands onto the heater and disappeared into thin air. He quickly popped back in, heater nowhere in sight.

   “-do that.”

   “Yeah. Or that.” Papyrus agreed.

~---~

   After moving the heater into the shed, along with a few hours of work on Frisk’s room, they decided to finish for the day and head back into the house.

   “Once we get the mattress, put in some lights, set up the heater…add some decoration…” Sans listed. “That shed will be good to go for a bedroom.”

   “Okay. Awesome.” Frisk said.

   As Frisk went back inside, Sans made a quick stop to his secret lab behind the house. He grabbed a few of the library books he checked out and promptly went inside. He sat on the couch, kicking off his shoes and crossing his legs.

   “Mind if I read next to you?” he asked.

   “Nope.”

    He began searching through the books. Truth was, he was starting to get worried about Frisk. She was acting more withdrawn and quiet than usual. He was going to find out if he could help in anyway.

   He glanced at her. Her eyes looked tired and lifeless. Ever since that nightmare she had been like this. As she watched TV, she robotically began to scratch her arm, unaware of Sans’ staring.

   He flipped to the page he left on and read silently.

   _“Don’t be afraid if your child regresses. Traumatic memories can resurface, and your child may need extra time to overcome a relapse. Some cases of child abuse include physical harm such as punching, pulling, burning-“_

Sans immediately felt ill and decided to skip the violent descriptions.

   _“-and could have possibly experienced emotional abuse of threatening remarks, damaging critique, or verbal attacks from their abuser. Unfortunately, in many cases, the effected child is usually targeted by a loved one or someone they knew well. If your adopted child appears to trust you, or is comfortable around you, here are some tips to help your child recover and cope with their trauma…_

_-Be understanding. Your child may not want to talk about certain things or feel comfortable in sharing certain information. Do not feel offended or upset if this is the case._

_-Be patient. Your child will have good days and bad. The healing process is different for everyone and can depend on how extreme their traumatic experience was._

_-Comfort them. Keep in mind that certain things may not help your child. In more extreme cases of physical abuse, some children do not like physical contact with others. In some cases of sexual abuse-“_

Sans had shut the page and put the book down at his side as his soul thumped loudly in his chest. Stars, what in the actual _fuck_ was he reading? It made him feel so sick, he had to force himself to stop. At the same time, he felt bad. Was Frisk ever…?

   He swallowed thickly. No. He didn’t want to think about that. He wanted to ask, but a big part of him told him that she wasn’t abused in _that_ way. She never mentioned anything liked that or showed signs of it. He closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands.

   Christ. There were kids out there- _his kid_ that went through so much shit. He moved his hands, opened his eyes, and turned his head back to Frisk, only to be met with a shocking sight.

   Her arm had bled open from the constant scratching, but she didn’t notice. That or she simply didn’t care.

   “ **Woah! Kiddo!** ” Sans hollered while taking her hands. She was completely out of it. Like she had clocked out of her own mind. Sans watched in horror as beads of crimson bubbled up from the broken skin. **“Shit- okay- come on.”** He ordered quickly springing off the couch. He took her uninjured arm and led her to the kitchen. He ripped a paper towel off from the counter and dabbed at the drops of blood. He did his best to wipe it off and apply pressure to the wounds. He looked at her for any reaction, anything at all but was met with the same blank expression.

   She was completely numb.

   “You didn’t have to do all that.” She mumbled.

   Sans looked at her, eye lights huge and worried. A faint flicker of blue crept in his eye socket, but he was able to suppress most of it.

   He temporarily moved the towel away to get a good look at the damage. The bleeding was slowing down much to his relief. She hadn’t said a word, and neither did he. It took a very long time for Sans to gather his thoughts and his voice. After a long pause of silent first aid, he spoke.

   **“You scared the hell out of me.”** He whispered softly. He turned on the faucet, dipped a small corner of the paper towel in water, and then gently blotted at the minor cuts. **“Please don’t do that again.”** He said getting choked up. **“You gotta be more careful.”** He cautioned, voice full of concern. He knelt, putting down the towel and taking both of her arms.

   Even then, she looked uninterested. Unconcerned about the fact that she had literally scratched open her arm to the point of bleeding. He waited to see if she would say anything. Look at anything- _Do anything._ He was only met with nothing.

   **“Frisk.”** He called out, slightly shaking her.

   “Huh..?”

   Again he paused. Nothing.

   **“Did…”** He trailed off. **“Did you not notice how harshly you were scratching yourself?”** He wondered.

   “No. I noticed.” She answered in a monotone voice. It made him shiver.

   **“…Okay…Why didn’t you stop then..? A-And I’m not mad! Just…very, very…worried.”** He explained trying to swallow his own dread.

   “I wanted to see if it hurt…It…It didn’t hurt at all.” She concluded. A faint smile crept onto her features, but her eyes were still expressionless. “It didn’t hurt at all.” She repeated with a hint of amusement.

   Sans could’ve sworn that she heard her laugh for a split second.

   **“You’ve disassociated.”** He finally concluded. This had happened to him before in the past with Papyrus. He figured it was easier to block out all of his feelings than to feel all the negative ones that seemed to haunt his existence. It was safer in his eyes.

   How wrong he was back then.

   **“Baby bones.”** He cooed, hoping to get _something_ out of her. **“My sweet little darling…I know you’re hurting.”**

   The eerie and unsettling smile quickly disappeared.

   He was getting through.

   **“Christ…You’re hurting so much. I know it. I can see it in your eyes and it pains me to see you this way.”** He admitted. The dullness in her eyes seemed to lift, and Sans brought her into a gentle and enveloping hug. **“I’m sorry that you’re suffering. Stars, I wish I could just take it all away…My little girl…what did she do to you…”**

He felt her tremble in her hold. And then there was a heart-breaking sob that made him feel relieved, but also made his chest ache, which was then followed by another.

   And now she was full on crying in his arms.

   “…Dad…” She whimpered.

   His heart throbbed at the small and desperate voice. He couldn’t help but shut his eyes tightly in response, as he stroked her hair and gently pulled her head onto his shoulder. He could feel the tears permeating through his clothing as she was wracked with uncontrollable sobs.

   **“Shhh, shhh, shhhhhh…..It’s okay sweet pea…It’s alright…I’ve got you…I’ve got you…”** He hushed. It took forever for Frisk’s crying to come to a halt. She was a hiccupping mess, but it seemed that she felt much better afterwards. Sans rocked her from side to side as exhaustion crashed over her.

   “I’m sorry I’m like this.”

   **“No, no, no…don’t say that…It’s not your fault sweetie…you don’t need to apologize…”** He assured her. **“I understand that you’ve been going through a lot. And you should be a little more forgiving towards yourself. You’ve gone through so much…goodness…”** He muttered remembering the scar on her side. **“Just take it easy alright?”**

Sans heard her gulp before replying.

   “O-Okay…”

   **“Let’s try drawing in that new sketchbook I got you okay? Let’s get you out of whatever dark mindset you’re in…”** He mumbled while carefully standing up and carrying her along.

   “Okay.” She gave in. “Okay…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooooah, it's been a while, right? Don't worry, I didn't forget about y'all! I recently got a job and IT SUCKS MAN! (I'm already applying to other places lol.) I've been caught up with school and work and school and work and school and SUFFERING!! (Jesus I hate my job...) But hey, school is over for now, and I'm already working on the next chapter so rest assured that you won't have to wait as long as this chapter took. 
> 
> I wonder what the new mysterious figure is up to? HMMMMMM (Okay, it's not that hard to figure out if you look at the tags.) 
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll finally get to see a certain nerdy reptile. Also sorry, if this end note is all over the place. I'm sleep deprived and running on ice tea and ramen noodles. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you all so much for your patience, and for the comments you leave. (And of course the Kudos as well.) Stay awesome.  
> ~CB


	5. Harmless

   After Frisk’s episode, they all turned in early for the night and got some much needed rest. When they awoke the next day, Frisk’s mood didn’t improve by much. Although she didn’t look so out of it, and she did seem a little more responsive, she still looked tired even after the sleep.

   After finishing her cereal, Sans patted her gently on the head, only for her to flinch in response.

   “Sorry baby bones.” He apologized genuinely.

   Frisk grabbed his arms and placed them back on her head after he had retracted.

   “No, it’s not your fault. I just wasn’t expecting it.” She explained while leaning closer to him. The guilt Sans had briefly felt was immediately lessened.

   “Well kiddo…if you’re feeling up to it…you wanna go visit Alphys? She hasn’t seen you in this timeline yet.” He brought up.

   Frisk yawned but nodded.

   “It would be nice to visit her.” She accepted.

   “Cool. We can go whenever you’re ready.”

~---~

   Papyrus decided to come with them due to him not having sentry duties today. Because of Hotland being a bit far. Sans wanted to use a shortcut for the three of them. They all stood in the living room warily watching them. Sans wordlessly took their hands and shut his eyes to concentrate.

   “Hold on tight. Don’t let go while we’re teleporting.” He reminded.

   “Wait Sans.” Papyrus interrupted. Sans’ eyes opened. “Three people at once? That’s a lot even for you.” Papyrus worried.

   “Relax bro. I got this. We’ll just take the boat ride back.” He assured him. “Besides, I don’t want Frisk to burn to a crisp.”

   “I don’t mind taking the ferry.” Frisk interjected.

   “You sure?” Sans asked. She nodded, to which he gave in and released his grip from their hands.

   They took the ferry to Hotland and arrived safely to their destination. As they all walked, red and orange sand shifted under their feet as they saw the lab looming ominously in the distance. Sans turned to Papyrus who was bombarding Frisk with a bunch of questions.

   “Your forehead is glistening! Do all humans shine like that?” Papyrus wondered.

   “No, that’s just sweat.” She explained while wiping it off with the back of her hand.

   “Are most humans as tiny and adorable as you?”

   Frisk giggled slightly.

   “No. We’re all unique. Except maybe identical twins…But even then, they have different personalities.”

   “How strange…” He perturbed.

   Before they knew it, they were greeted by the metal doors to the lab. They opened automatically, sliding out of the way and letting them enter.

   The building was significantly much cooler than it was outside, relieving the human child from the scorching heat. The lights were on but the large monitor near Alphys’ desk was shut off.

   “Alphys..? You home?” Sans called out. Her elevator made a whirring noise as the doors opened, revealing the nervous scientist.

   “Hey Papyrus, hey Sans! And-“ She cut herself off as her brain finally registered Frisk standing next to him. Her jaw dropped in shock as she pointed to her.

   “I-is that a…the-the…?” She stammered.

   “A human? Sure is!” Papyrus answered proudly.

   “Wow!” She gushed, stars in her eyes. “I-I’ve heard so much about you! B-but you’re…” She trailed off growing closer to the three of them. Her enthusiasm died down as she spoke. “Not as d-dangerous as I thought you’d be! You’re so y-young! A-And tiny too!” She noted. Frisk smiled. Alphys always made her feel better.

   “Wait, wait…I thought you knew we were coming. Don’t you have cameras everywhere in the underground?” Sans backtracked while pointing a thumb to the monitor.

   “W-well…I would have, but for s-some reason, the cameras are all down. Must be some sort of software error…” She explained. “I haven’t gotten any good footage for a couple days now. I’m trying to fix them b-but it’s taking a wh-while…”

   “Who told you there was a human then?” He asked concerned.

   “Undyne told me.”

   “Oh. That makes sense…”

   She turned to Frisk.

   “Wh-what’s your name? My name is Alphys.” She introduced.

   “Frisk.” She answered politely. The stars in Alphys’ eyes returned.

   “She’s so c-cute!” She fawned. They all grinned. “How old is she..?” She wondered.

   Sans immediately sensed the hesitation in Frisk’s body and decided to answer for her.

   “She…She doesn’t know. She has…” He trailed off searching for an excuse. “She has amnesia. From the- from the fall. She hit her head…” He lied.

   “O-oh…that’s unfortunate…B-but at least you’re okay.” She settled. “Undyne had told me that you were pretty civil for a human. I p-personally think that maybe h-humans are misunderstood.” She admitted.

   Frisk smiled gladly at her confession.

   “So…Undyne was here?” Sans noticed.

   Alphys nodded. “She left a little while ago to get some snacks. We were p-planning on having a m-movie night later t-today.”

   “Oh. Well, I didn’t mean to barge in unannounced-“ Sans began to apologize.

   Alphys shook her head. “Y-you don’t have to leave! I don’t mind if you guys want to s-stay! Unless, of c-course, you don’t want to!” She reassured them.

   Sans looked at Frisk, trying to get her thoughts included on the matter.

   “I want to stay. As long as Undyne doesn’t try and kill us.” Frisk stated while nervously tapping her fingers. Sans nodded in agreement.

   “Okay. Th-That’s fair.”

   Alphys turned to Frisk. She had wanted to ask the child what the surface was like, and what it was like to live in their society. How many anime series were there on the surface? What were conventions like? What delicacies were a staple in the human world? Was bubble tea any good? What about mochi ice cream? Why did humans create so much trash? And how does it end up in Waterfall? Aren’t they supposed to be efficient beings with the power to have technological advances in evolution? How could they not figure out what to do with their trash? Was it because there were too many people?

   So many questions. But she knew that if Frisk truly didn’t remember anything before her fall, then she wouldn’t know the answer to them. Right?

   Instead, she asked Frisk a simple question instead.

   “Would you like something to drink?”

   Frisk thought it over but nodded.

   “O-okay! Um, let me see what our options are…” She said as she walked over to the fridge. She swung the door open and scanned the items sitting inside.

   “We have water....lemonade…ice tea…P-Pick your poison.” She offered.

   “Ice tea sounds good.” Frisk answered in a soft voice.

   “Ice tea? Coming right up!”

   As Alphys went to go get a glass, Sans and Papyrus got comfortable near the desk of papers and leaned against the wall behind them.

   “So Alphys…since the kiddo is living with us and everything…” Sans started as she saw Alphys pull up a few chairs from out of their view. Frisk sat first, along with Sans, and then she eventually got two more for Papyrus and herself. “You think you can hook us up with a bed?”

   “A bed? Y-yeah no problem! I’ll get you one before you head out.” She said.

    “Awesome. Thanks Alphys. You’re the best.” Sans praised.

   “I-it’s nothing.” Alphys insisted as she poured Frisk some ice tea. She put a straw in it and handed it to Frisk. She smiled and thanked her in response. She took a large sip, completely mesmerized by the way the liquid disappeared from the cup. She was thirstier than she thought.

   “What movie were you going to watch?” Papyrus brought up.

   “Oh w-we were going to watch this one anime movie about this person who gets turned into an o-old lady, and she meets this guy who has a magical flying castle who sh-she thinks can break the spell.” She summarized.

   “A flying castle?! Now that sounds interesting!” Papyrus commented as he bubbled up in excitement.

   “Y-yeah! I-It’s a really good movie! You should stay and watch it with-“

   Before Alphys could finish her thought, the lab doors had unexpectedly slid open.

   Undyne was in the doorway with bags of grocery’s in her arms as she smiled while showing all her teeth.

   “Hey Al, I’m back from the store! Man, can you believe that they didn’t have any-“

   She immediately trailed off upon seeing Frisk and Sans, who all looked extremely tense from her appearance.

   “Sup.” Sans greeted shortly.

   Undyne grew closer not breaking eye contact as Frisk and Papyrus gulped and shifted nervously.

   “Hey. Didn’t know you were coming over.” She spoke, no emotion bleeding through. It was unclear what her intentions were, and Sans was doing a good job matching her.

   “Just thought we’d say hi to Alphys.”

   Frisk bore deep into her ice tea hoping that something would break the awkwardness in the air.

   “Ice tea…” She noted directing her attention to the child. “Not a bad choice. Especially in this heat.”

   Frisk felt…oddly relaxed by that statement. Maybe because her hostility wasn’t present. It didn’t matter what Undyne said, as long as she was calm.

   “So Frisk. How long do you plan on staying here? Barrier isn’t gonna break itself you know…”Undyne said with a slight bitter edge.

   “I…I know…” Frisk stammered as the guilt returned to her. “I don’t think I’m going anywhere anytime soon. I like being with Sans and Papyrus…they make me feel safe.”

   Undyne suddenly became silent as she analyzed the child in front of her. She was always soft spoken, and her head was always pointed down to the floor. Although, Undyne could understand why she behaved in such a way with her, she did it to everyone. At Gerson’s store, the veteran had been nothing but kind to her, yet she still looked…fearful. This kid didn’t have much of a backbone. She couldn’t help but wonder what made her like this. She was incredibly small, and not just height wise. She was…thin. Skinny. But not in a way Undyne would believe was healthy. There was something wrong with this human. Figures that she would get a pitiful looking one as the last soul they needed to harvest.

   She couldn’t be angry at this helpless kid. She looked like she needed some mercy from whatever had happened before she met her.

   She could spare ONE human soul. Just one.

   “…Stars, you’re all a bunch of softies.” She huffed. “Quit your quivering, I’m not going to hurt you or whatever. I’m just here to watch a good movie and be with Alphys.”

   That gained the attention of all four of them.

   “You’re okay for a human. Pretty gentle and harmless.” She added. Frisk smiled weakly. Undyne gently patted her on the head, to which Frisk retracted at first, but then eased up and let her hair get ruffled. A small, quiet, short laugh escaped her lips- mostly due to the relief that Undyne was warming up to her. Sans looked on with the same relieved expression.

   “And you’re pretty cool too Sans. I don’t have the slightest clue on how to take care of and protect a human, but here you are. Not gonna lie, that takes some moxie.”

   “…Thanks Undyne. That…that means a lot. And uh…sorry for making your job hard, y’know?” He replied. Undyne shrugged.

   “Whatever dude. We both had our reasons for acting like we did. Let’s just forget about it.”

   He nodded and his smile became more genuine, along with Frisk’s, Papyrus’ and Alphys’. It was good to finally see everyone on the same side again.

   “Anyway. Enough of that mushy shit! I bought snacks. Who wants to see a movie?!”

~---~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaaay! Everyone is friends again! And now that's one less thing for Frisk and Sans to worry about. I tried to make this chapter a little more lighter, considering what happened last time, but oh man. The next one is gonna be heavy, so strap in everybody.
> 
> Also, on an unrelated side note, I quit my shitty job, and I feel really great. I was truly miserable there and it was negatively effecting my mental health. (It's not fun when you go to work and people tell you how much of a fuck-up you are~) 
> 
> ANYWAYS, we got robbed. And that was kinda the straw that broke the camel's back, ya know? I had to get out of there, and I'm glad I did. I feel much better knowing I don't have to go back to that horrible place, and now I have more free-time to write. (It's a win-win, situation.)
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I appreciate all the kind words you've shared with me. I am very honored, and touched to have such nice people in my life instead of the negative ones that have been constantly suffocating me. You're the best!
> 
> Take care!  
> ~CB


	6. The Dirt Beneath Our Feet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, uh...before you read this chapter, I would recommend glancing over the tags again. It gets dark. So uh, yeah.
> 
> Good luck!

                Once the movie had ended, the clock had said it was mid-afternoon. Everyone had loved the movie, and at some point they had all ended up sitting on the couch together. Alphys and Undyne sat on each end while Frisk sat comfortably in the middle, as Sans and Papyrus settled directly in front of them on the floor. As the credits began rolling, everyone had stood up and stretched their arms and legs.

   “You sure know how to pick the best movies Alphys.” Undyne commented while smiling.

   “Yeah! That was a very delightful film. I’m glad that it had a happy ending.” Papyrus agreed.

   “Well…I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Alphys replied happily. Sans stood up and began to clean up the empty bags of junk food and threw it in the nearby trash can.

   “We should do this again more often.” Sans spoke. “Sadly, I think it’s time that we head back. Thanks for having us over Alphys.”

   “N-no problem! And before you leave-“ She trailed off as she took the conveyor belt upstairs. They heard her rummage through her belongings, until she walked back downstairs with a tiny grey cube in her hand.

   “Here’s your bed. It’s condensed into a portable cube for now. When you want to set it up, there a tiny plastic bit right here,” She explained while turning it on it’s side and showcasing the black pin. “Take it out and set it down, and it should start to expand.”

   “Awesome.” Sans said while carefully taking the cube in his hands. “This is pretty neat.” He added. He pocketed the item into his jacket and smiled.

   “Catch ya later dweebs!” Undyne said while waving goodbye.

   “See ya.”

   They stepped out and were immediately hit with the Hotland heat which instantly suffocated Frisk like a thick blanket.

   “Paps, me and the kiddo are gonna make a quick stop in Waterfall. Meet you at the house?” Sans suggested.

   “Alright…I’ll see you at the house then…Please be careful.” He warned while turning towards the direction of the dock.

   “We will.” Sans assured him as they saw him shrink out of sight. They walked straight ahead, back into Waterfall.

   “Where in Waterfall are we going?” Frisk wondered.

   “Someplace special.”

   Sans was being strangely vague, which peaked Frisk’s curiosity. Someplace special? It was obvious he wasn’t just referring to Gerson’s shop, or the garbage dump. As they walked together and entered the cave, the air around them grew cooler and damp. The moisture from the dew clung onto their clothing as the lights became dimmer. They passed the Hotland sign and traveled all the way back through the bridge and the winding maze of echo flowers.

   They continued to walk in silence, following the path of lanterns leading the way. They walked passed Gerson’s shop and finally stopped once they reached their destination. It was the place which was lit up completely by echo flowers and the bright blue florescent waters.

   “This is it. Take a seat, Pete.” Sans offered as he sat on the ground by the water. He took off his shoes and set them aside as he submerged his feet into the water. Frisk watched warily, before she decided to copy his actions and join him. When she got her socks off, she put them into her shoes for safe keeping, rolled up her pants, and dunked her feet into the water. She immediately tensed up as her mouth opened into silent shock.

   “It’s cold!” She complained.

   Sans chuckled at her reaction.

   “I probably should’ve told you but then you wouldn’t have done it.” He teased. Frisk shook her head but couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. She quickly got used to the temperature and began to slowly swish her feet back and forth.

   “So…why’d you bring me here?” Frisk asked confused.

   “Well…I figured that we should chat about some things.” He started off slowly. “I always come here when I need to clear my mind. Get away from it all and just…relax.”

   Frisk turned her head towards him, watching as Sans focused into the ripples in the water.

   “I figured maybe you’d want to clear your mind too. I’m not forcing you to talk about anything. But if you want to, I’m here to listen.” He explained. “It’s a beautiful place at least. Sometimes it feels like time freezes here.” He added wistfully.

   Frisk turned back and briefly stopped moving her legs. The ripples in the water settled, and then she was met with her own reflection. She breathed in slowly, shut her eyes, breathed out, then opened them again.

   “I don’t know why I acted like I did yesterday.” She began quietly. “I woke up that morning and felt…bad. Like, no matter what I did or how hard I tried to stay positive, this bad feeling wouldn’t leave me alone.”

   Sans nodded to show he was listening.

   “It was like…like a cloud. I couldn’t get out of it. It sucked…” She said defeatedly.

   “I bet kiddo…Sometimes, you’re going to have days like that and you might not know why. It’s alright. And it’s perfectly normal.” He reassured her.

   “I don’t want to feel like that again. I wasn’t myself.” She whispered recalling to when she had felt all emotions slowly leave her conscious. “I couldn’t feel anything.”

   Sans looked at his daughter with concern, but also with deep understanding. They both grew quiet as Frisk resumed her slow kicking motions in the water, liking the way it felt against her skin.

   “I feel like…sometimes I don’t have any excuse for feeling sad. You guys have given me so much…My mother…she never gave me toys or time to watch TV. She never took me out to eat or bought me new clothes. I feel so grateful to have you. So, whenever I get these…bad moods…I feel like I don’t have any right to feel that way.” She confessed.

   “Oh kiddo…You shouldn’t have to feel guilty for something like that. Sure, you’ve had it worse before, but that…horrible crap she did to you…that’s still there. It’s still giving you a tough time being happy.”

   Frisk nodded showing that she was listening. Suddenly horrible flashbacks invaded her mind, and she did her best to blink away the tears that had formed in her eyes.

   “How’d you stop self-harming Sans? I know you said…that Papyrus was the one that helped you to stop. But was it easy? Because for me it seems impossible. Even when I have you to ground me…It’s so hard…” She murmured.

   Sans looked out into the distance as he smiled sadly.

   “No…It isn’t easy. It wasn’t easy at all.” He agreed honestly. “Trust me Frisk, when he found out I was carving chunks out of my bone, he flipped. But he was completely supportive and patient. There were…many times where’d I’d hurt myself again. Even when I knew he’d find out. Even when I knew that it hurt him. It was like that part of me was shouting at me to do it. Quite frankly, I screwed up a lot.” He answered slowly. “But the important thing is that you don’t give up on trying to stop.”

   Frisk looked at him.

   “You can’t let your inner demons win. You have to keep pushing them away. Eventually…it gets easier. And someday you’ll get to the point where that awfully loud voice in your head telling you to hurt yourself…will get quiet.”

   Frisk smiled slightly, a bittersweet feeling overwhelming her.

   “So kid,” Sans started. “Since we’re on the subject…Mind If I ask you something?”

   “Okay…What is it?” She accepted.

   “…Have you been having any thoughts…about…” He trailed off hesitant to finish. “Killing yourself?”

   Frisk swallowed thickly but managed to maintain eye contact with him.

   “Sometimes.” She said in a quiet voice. “It’s not enough for me to actually want to do it. There’s so much I want to live for…”She explained. “But then again…there’s so much that just…pushes me.”

   The answer she had provided disturbed Sans, but he did his best to hide it and remain calm. At least she wasn’t motivated to try another attempt on her life. That was what mattered. He had to do everything in his power to keep it that way.

    He breathed deeply and nodded as his permanent smile strained.

   “Ok…Ok…” He simply said pensive. He was doing his best to avoid a repeat of what happened in the last timeline. The blood…her cold unmoving body…the knife…the wounds…

   He wished he could erase the memories too.

   “Thank you for being honest with me.” He said.

   Frisk nodded.

   “I wouldn’t do that to you again.” She vowed. “That was awful for both of us.”

   “You could say that again.” Sans agreed. “At least you’re here with me now.”

   Frisk smiled genuinely, showcasing her perfect white teeth. It was small, but it was still the brightest and most beautiful thing Sans had seen all week.

   “Yeah.”

   She scooted over and leaned into him, and he gently wrapped a protective arm over her. They stood together like that in comfortable silence, as their thoughts drifted away.

   This kid had been through so much. So much pain and death. Absolute misery and suffering. It wasn’t fair. She deserved better. He was trying his damn best to undo the actions of her mother but Stars- this woman had imbedded a deep fear inside her, and completely reprogrammed her from an innocent child to a traumatized one. His books matched her symptoms with PTSD. A mental illness so horrible that war veterans were the common victims, not _tiny children who can’t remember their last birthday!_  Parents are supposed to _protect_ their children, not _become their worst nightmare!_ Not drive them into thinking that they are worth **_less than the dirt beneath their feet._** And for fucks sake- they certainly aren’t supposed to be driving them to _self-harm and commit **suicide-**_

“Sans..?”

   Sans immediately snapped out of his thoughts and focused his attention to his daughter.

   “Yes Frisk?”

   “You okay? You were shaking…and your eye flickered blue…” She noted.

   “O-oh. Really?...I’m sorry.”

   She rested her head against him, resuming the comfortable position before.

   “I just get…really… _really_ upset when I think about the things _she_ did to you.”

   He felt her nod through the fabric of his clothing.

   “At least it’s over.” She whispered while patting her side where the large scar was.

   _God…_ Sans thought to himself. He couldn’t even imagine how terrified this child must have been during that ordeal.

   “Yeah…It’s over.” He confirmed while soothingly tucking a stray hair under her ear. They both fell into a comfortable silence as Frisk stared back into the water below. Her heart felt…full. Lighter. More free.

   It was a good feeling.

   She pulled her feet out of the water, letting them dry off on the earthy ground before putting her socks on.

   “I think I’m ready to go home. I’m kind of hungry.” She admitted. Sans copied her actions and slipped on his sneakers.

   “Say no more.” He said as he watched her put her shoes on. “If I know my brother well enough, he probably whipped up something for us to eat already.”

   “Spaghetti.” Frisk answered while grinning and shaking her head. She stood up and took Sans’ outstretched hand.

   “Yeah. Spaghetti.”

~---~

   They had, in fact, eaten spaghetti for dinner. The pasta was cold and tough as jerky, and the tomato sauce was a bit too watery and bland, but Frisk had eaten every last noodle from her plate. She wasn’t a picky kid, that’s for sure, which certainly helped Sans. He did however realize, that Frisk wasn’t a fan of the spaghetti, but had eaten it mostly because she was hungry and grateful, but also didn’t want to hurt Pap’s feelings.

   After a warm shower and changing into her pajamas, Frisk was officially exhausted and ready to turn in for the night. Papyrus had offered to read her Fluffy Bunny to which she accepted. With a quick set up of the compact bed Alphys had given them, she had her own working heater and bed in the shed. It was more spacious and comfier than the couch at least.

   After Papyrus had read her Fluffy Bunny, he had wished her goodnight and did the same for his brother. Sans had repeated the actions, and gave her a skeletal kiss on her forehead.

   “Goodnight baby bones.”

   “Goodnight dad.”

   As Sans walked out, he had the biggest and proudest grin on his face.

   Eventually, Sans had kicked off his shoes and made it to his own bed. He suddenly felt so tired. Who knew parenthood was so draining..?

   Either way, he wouldn’t trade it for the world, and he went to bed fully content with today’s events.

~---~

   _The all too familiar bright lights of orange, caramel, and amber greeted him. He recognized it instantly._

_He was back in judgement hall._

_But something was...off. The view was different. He was staring straight up into the tall ceiling. Shadows covered the top, preventing him from seeing where the walls met in the center. Now that he thought about it, he could feel a hardness pressed against his back bone and ribcage. He was…laying down?_

_Well that was new._

_He could faintly hear footsteps approaching. They were light, but self-assured. He attempted to sit up and see who was approaching, but he had already figured out who it was._

_The footsteps echoed in the space around him, but a feeling of anxiety slowly enveloped the skeleton on the ground. He had to sit up **now.** He felt threatened. That person approaching…_

_He saw black shoes step into his peripheral vision._

_It was Chara._

_The closer she grew, the heavier Sans felt. He struggled with all his might to move. He couldn’t even lift a finger. It was like someone was crushing him with a fifteen ton weight. He needed to move! Chara was going to kill him._

_But he couldn’t do anything except watch as her face appeared in front of his. She loomed over him, expression twisted into slight amusement._

_“Hey dad. Wanna see something cool?!”_

_Sans’ breath hitched. She changed her voice._

_It was Frisk’s voice. It was kind and soft. Not at all like Chara’s voice that dripped with sugar and tar. Over the time loop, he became good at deciphering between the two. Chara had that sick twisted smile imprinted on her face. That or she had that dead-inside look in her eyes. Sans had clearly seen the later, along with he fact that her entire physical posture was different from Frisk’s._

_That wasn’t Frisk. But damn it, it **sounded** like her._

_“ **Oh that’s not funny Chara.”** He shuddered, eye lights completely disappearing. Why couldn’t he fucking move! He felt so vulnerable._

_“Look at this!” Frisk’s voice chimed happily. Sans noted the knife in her hand, as she walked over his body, completely hovering above him. The sinking feeling in his metaphorical stomach had dramatically increased when he saw her lift her arm, wrist facing up._

_He saw the knife and immediately panicked._

_“So you have hemophobia, huh Sansy?” Chara’s voice interrupted from the child. “Very interesting.”_

_**“Chara, please…whatever it is you’re about to do, please stop.”** Sans begged, eye lights returning into the form of small pin pricks. They darted nervously from the knife, to her wrist, to her delighted face._

_“Stop? But…it feels nice…Just watch.” Frisk’s voice returned._

_And Sans watched in horror as he witnessed his little girl stab the knife directly into her forearm, blood instantly spurting out from the wounds. She was emotionless now and didn’t react at all to the pain._

_Sans screamed in horror as heavy beads of crimson splashed onto his face and clothing. It was warm and metallic smelling. It was sticky and familiar and **so fucking wrong!**_

_Frisk didn’t stop either. She had kept making deep slashes into her arm, producing a river of blood to stream steadily down on top of the paralyzed skeleton._

_“ **Stop! Stop-stopstopstop!”** He begged. The texture of the blood. The smell. It was too horrible. Too much.  He felt like vomiting._

_This was so fucked up._

_Frisk’s face became ghostly pale. He closed his eyes to prevent anymore of the horrible scene from entering his mind, but it only left him focusing on the warm, thick blood that had permeated through his entire being._

_This was actual hell._

_He could feel his senses fading out. He was blacking out, and the only thing that could be heard was Chara’s laughter, and the sickening thump of Frisk’s body hitting the ground._

_~---~_

Sans immediately jolted in his bed, sitting upright with his eyes frantically scanning the room., gasping for air. He often had nightmares, especially ones with Chara, and they had usually ended up with him screaming out loud into the dark, waking his brother.

   But this time, he had no voice. He was so frightened that he had actually gone completely silent, with nothing but the sound of his breathing and shaking bones filling the room. Before he had time to react, he was already heaving.

   He teleported to the bathroom, and had instantly vomited into the nearby toilet. Magical blue bile escaped his mouth, and he gagged for the second time. The feeling that nightmare had given him had stuck with him, even in this reality.

   His eye burned terribly from the Megalovania Eye, kicking back to life as his body went into overdrive from the amount of magic he was expelling.

   He threw up a third time and noticed his own breathing. It was erratic and labored. He didn’t technically _need_ to breathe, for he was a skeleton. Although, he did acknowledge that if he had managed to calm himself down, his body wouldn’t waste as much magic, eventually grounding him back to the present.

   He tried breathing in and out, but didn’t find that much helpful. He still felt the sticky substance of Frisk’s blood on his face. He scrambled to get up and look at himself in the mirror. His face was the usual pearly white color, completely spotless. He looked like death itself, but that mental note didn’t help ease the situation and made him feel more panicked. He had to. Fucking. Calm. Down.

   His hands shook violently but he managed to turn on the faucet and splash his face. The icy water felt good. It made him feel cleaner. He contemplated taking a shower but found solace with just using the sink for his face. He splashed himself a couple of times and checked the mirror once more. He didn’t look any different from ten seconds ago. He felt his stomach flip again, and he was on the floor, throwing up in the toilet for a fourth time. He stood close by and waited for the nausea to pass, which thankfully did- but his breathing was still wild.

   He clumsily flushed everything down the drain, and saw Papyrus approach him. He must have woken him up. This wasn’t the first time he had done that during his nightmares.

   “Sans? Sans, is everything alright? What happened?” Papyrus worried immediately springing into action. He placed his hands on Sans’ shoulders and knelt down to see him at eye level.

   Sans tried to speak but couldn’t find his voice. Instead, tears had begun to involuntarily leak from the corners of his eye sockets.

   “Brother, calm down- you have to breath. Focus on your breathing.” Papyrus instructed. Sans just nodded and listened.

   “Copy me. Focus Sans.” He emphasized. “In….”

   He copied his actions.

   “…….And out….”

   He let out a shaky breath in response.

   “Again.”

  They repeated the cycle until Sans had finally managed to bring himself back down.

   “There we go…Now,” Papyrus started while cupping Sans’ face with his hands. “Was it another nightmare?”

   Sans nodded weakly.

   “Wowie…bad enough to make you have a panic attack?” He worried. Again, he nodded.

   “Want to talk about it?” He offered. Sans shook his head but began to break down into light sobs. Papyrus’ soul ached for his brother, and he hugged him in an attempt to comfort him.

   “I-It was Frisk…th-there was so much blood…” Sans whispered.

   “Shhhhh….it’s alright….It wasn’t real…Frisk is safe with us in her room….Would you like to go check outside your window and see?”

   Sans nodded and allowed Papyrus to guide the two of them to his room. They looked out the window, peering into the shed, and could clearly see Frisk sleeping on her side, breathing deeply and evenly.

   “You see? She is okay brother.” Papyrus reassured him. Sans sniffed and wiped the tears, his whole body feeling exhausted afterwards.

   “You should try to get some rest. Go lay down in my bed. You’re sleeping with me tonight.” He finalized. Sans did his best to manage a smile. Sleep was the absolute last thing he wanted. Not after that dream. But his body was aching for it. He decided not to fight against it, but he highly doubted his abilities to go back to sleep now.

   “Okay bro…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats on making it to the end. Sorry if that got a little too...graphic? I'm not really a fan of gore, so I tried to spare all the details, so I hope it wasn't too bad. But since this chapter was pretty intense, I'm going to have mercy and say that the next two chapters will be much fluffier and lighter on your crushed souls.
> 
> But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Take care of yourselves dear readers.   
> Stay cool!  
> ~CB


	7. Piano Keys and Flowery Tea

   The next morning had proved to be…odd. When Frisk awoke, she slowly dragged herself out of bed and briefly faced the cold to go back inside. The TV was on, with Sans sitting cross-legged on the couch. His hoodie was pulled up- which was the first time Frisk had ever seen him do that. Papyrus was cooking something from the kitchen judging by the clinking noises of dishes and cabinets opening. Frisk wordlessly greeted Sans on the couch, standing by his side, giving him a warm smile.

   When she got a good look at him, an uneasy feeling grew inside her. He looked absolutely _exhausted._ The dark racoon circles around his eyes had seemed more present than ever. When he saw Frisk, his eye lights had grown bigger in size, as a look of relief washed over him.

   “Good morning.” Frisk greeted hesitantly, trying to break the silence.

   Sans had scooted up more on the couch, firmly planting his feet, as he opened his arms in the gesture of asking for a hug. Frisk understood, and willfully went to him, as his arms gently wrapped around her as she laid her head comfortingly on his shoulder. Frisk could feel Sans begin to shake underneath his jacket, and she hugged back tighter to try and ease his mind.

   “What happened?” She asked softly. Sans didn’t speak, but he did let out a small and shaky unstable breath. It was unexpected and concerning. This wasn’t how Sans was supposed to be. Sans was the strong one. He was the one comforting her. He was supposed to be smiling and making silly jokes while napping lazily on the couch.

   And here he was having the most silent mental breakdown a person could have.

   He gently eased off of Frisk, pulling away to wipe his tears that had silently formed at the corner of his eyes. He still smiled at his daughter, but his grin and eyes had both showcased the lack of brightness they once had before.

   What in the world got him this way?

   “Just had a rough night.” Sans finally answered, his voice quiet but gravely.

   “Nightmare?” She guessed. Sans looked down towards his shoes and nodded.

   “Yea.” He admitted.

   Frisk sat next to him on the couch.

   “That bad?”

   “That bad.”

   They both remained silent. Frisk remembered Sans telling him about his own troubles while sleeping, but she had never seen him act like this before. Withdrawn. Quiet. Pensive. These traits didn’t match at all with Sans. She wished she could make them go away for him.

   “Frisk.” He called breaking the heavy silence.

   “Yes?”

   “You can’t…” He trailed off. Then he completely changed the start of his sentence. “…Promise me that you’ll tell me when something is wrong.”

   “Okay Sans.” Frisk replied uneasily.

   They both left it at that. Frisk was sure that Sans wasn’t in the right mental space to talk about his nightmare, so she didn’t push him. She gave him a reassuring side hug and thought about what Sans would say if it were her in this position.

   “Well…whatever it was that happened in your dream…just remember that everything is alright and that I’m still here with you. And that you’re safe.” She softly consoled. Sans’ smile grew fractionally- a small, but still noticeable change. She sat with him, head leaning against his shoulder as they both watched the TV. Sometimes being with someone you cared about was enough.

    A voice called out from the kitchen, snapping Frisk and Sans from their own thoughts.

   “Human? Are you there? I could use a hand making breakfast.” Papyrus called.

   “Coming!” Frisk announced back as she slowly stood from her spot on the couch. She shot Sans another warm smile, and he managed to return a small one back.

   When she walked in the kitchen, Papyrus was mixing pancake batter in a bowl.

   “It’s always more fun to cook together. Plus, I think the food comes out better.” He mused. He went towards the stove and set a pan on the burner. “Would you like to get the butter?”

   Frisk nodded happily and walked up to the fridge, collecting a stick of butter from the shelves inside the door. She shut the fridge and handed the ingredient to Papyrus.

   “Why don’t you mix the batter while I melt the butter?” He offered. Frisk nodded as Papyrus handed her the bowl, along with the whisk sitting inside. She mixed slowly as the sound of sizzling butter hit the frying pan.

   “Papyrus?” Frisk called.

   “Yes Frisk?” He replied.

   She glanced towards the direction of the living room and lowered her voice.

   “Sans isn’t acting like himself.”

   Papyrus turned his attention towards the pan, as he picked it up by the handle and swirled the melting butter around. He wasn’t phased or surprised by this information, signaling that he already knew.

   “Yeah. He gets like that sometimes.” He simply said. “He had a nightmare about you. He hasn’t said anything more than that, but I don’t want to pressure him. All I know is that it was really bad.” He explained.

   Frisk nodded as she handed the bowl back to Papyrus once she had finished stirring.

   “What can we do to make him feel better?” She asked. Was this how it felt for Sans whenever she had these episodes? It was scary. She didn’t know what to do, or how to make it better. She felt powerless.

   Papyrus sighed deeply as his brows furrowed as he poured the pancake batter in the pan.

   “Sans doesn’t like being coddled. He likes dealing with things alone. Although I don’t always agree with that choice, I think in this instance he just needs some time to clear his head. You mean very much to my dear brother Frisk. I know you’d like to help and be there for him, but that wouldn’t help him heal faster. Sans has a lot of pride when it comes down to his emotional state. He doesn’t like showing weakness, nor does he want people to worry about him. Especially around the people he cares about…” He trailed off, watching the heat make bubbles in the batter.

   “He’s been through things like this before. I believe he can pull through again. We just need to be patient.” He finished as he pressed a spatula against the pancake.

  Frisk nodded in understanding.

   “Anyway…enough of that. Let’s not start the day off this gloomy. We are going to eat this delicious breakfast, and power through this new day!” He claimed cheerfully. Frisk smiled brightly at his proposition.

   “Okay. Sure!” She agreed.

   “Now…let’s see…looks like this pancake is ready to be flipped. Watch and learn from a pro.” He stated, taking the spatula and scraping it against the bottom of the half-cooked pancake. He flipped It over a little too roughly, and the pancake batter splattered against the bottom of the pan, hissing in response.

   “Not bad.” Papyrus noted. “But I admit that my technique could use some work.”

   Frisk nodded, but practically started drooling when she began smelling the buttery and flaky scent of the pancake before her. Man…it had been so long since she had a pancake. Toriel was the last person who made her one, and that was during their time on the surface. That timeline felt like it had occurred centuries ago. A whole lifetime seemed to pass since then.

   Well…technically it did. That’s why she was down here in the first place.

   “Alright. This one looks just about done.” Papyrus declared. With the spatula in his hand, he used his free hand to grab a plate and scrape the pancake out from the pan, setting it down on the dish.

   “One down.”

   They spent the next few minutes making pancakes and enjoying each other’s company. When it came time to flipping them, Papyrus had managed to get a small section of the pancake to stick to the side of the pan awkwardly.

   Frisk couldn’t help but giggle.

   “Hey, it’s harder than it looks!” Papyrus defended. “You try the next one, and you’ll see.”

   Once that pancake was done and they started cooking up another, he gave the spatula to Frisk and lifted her up into his arms so she could reach the pan better.

   She used her hands and tried to flip the pancake in one swift motion, but it ended up flopping over and folding over itself.

   “You see!” Papyrus pointed out. “Not so easy huh?”

   Frisk chuckled sheepishly, as Papyrus took the spatula to try and straighten it. However, the batter had merged to itself, and the pancake had transformed into what looked like a taco shell.

   “It’s alright. That one will just be better at holding the syrup then.”

   They continued making pancakes, until they finally had enough for all three of them. Papyrus shut off the stove and set the frying pan in the sink, as he took the plate of towering pancakes and set it to the side. He grabbed some smaller plates and began serving the pancakes onto their individual plates one by one, as Frisk’s stomach growled hungrily.

   Papyrus handed her plate along with a fork.

   “Go ahead and start eating Frisk. I’ll meet you at the table.”

   She nodded and slowly carried her food to the table where their pet rock was sitting at. She gazed at it while slowly setting her plate down. She turned around and was pleasantly surprised to see Sans sitting next to her at the table.

   “Those pancakes smell good. Plus, you both worked kinda hard to make ‘em.” He explained. His voice was still deeper and quieter than usual, but Frisk could tell that it had noticeably improved from twenty minutes ago. Papyrus walked out from the kitchen, carrying his plate along with his brother’s. He set them both down at the table and went back into the kitchen as Sans examined his stack of pancakes. On his plate was the one which Frisk had tried flipping.

   “…What’s up with this one?” He wondered, a hint of amusement in his tone.

   “Taco pancake.” Frisk stated matter-of-factly. Sans’ smile slightly quirked upwards.

   “Alright then.” He replied back, no questions asked.

    Papyrus came back with three glasses, before he disappeared, then reappeared again with a carton of orange juice. He repeated the action to get the syrup, before sitting down and settling in his chair.

   “Dig in everyone!” Papyrus exclaimed.

   And so they did.

~---~

   After eating breakfast and getting dressed, Sans returned to his spot on the couch. Before Frisk could join him, Papyrus had caught her hand, stopping her in her tracks, and pulling her away into the kitchen.

   “We should go visit Undyne today. Sans still needs time to…process.” He explained. Frisk glanced over at Sans and saw that he looked a little more alive. Not by much, but it was true he was looking more like himself. However, that didn’t completely ease her mind at the idea of going without him.

   “Are you sure we should leave him alone?” Frisk asked with apprehension. She remembered that Sans has also struggled with his own internal demons, and she would rather not have him go down the same slippery slope she’s gone through again.

   “I know my brother very well human. And I also know when, or when not to be concerned over him. Sans is doing…okay. Not great, but better than I expected. Ever since you came here, I notice that he’s become better at handling his problems. If something was really wrong, he’d be in his room, locked away from the world. Not out here watching TV on the sofa. I can tell that this time, he’s really making an effort to get better. I trust in him…because I know my brother is strong, and I know that he’ll bounce back stronger than before.”

   Frisk smiled after hearing his explanation. It never ceased to amaze her how much Papyrus believed in people. Even at their worst, he was always there- always encouraging.

   “Alright then.” Frisk said decidedly.

   The two finished cleaning up the mess they made from breakfast and wished Sans goodbye.

   “You two have fun. Oh, and be careful out there…okay?” Sans advised.

   “Of course, brother! Careful is my middle name.”

~---~

   The two had made it to Waterfall in one piece, carefully exiting the ferry and paying the river person.

   Instinctively, Papyrus took Frisk’s hand and walked to Undyne’s house. He knocked on her door and they both waited patiently.

   She stepped out grinning slightly once she saw Papyrus and Frisk.

   “Oh hey doofs! Didn’t know you’d be coming over.” She greeted. She was wearing a black tank top, along with her blue jeans. It looked like she was off Royal Guard duty.

   “Me and Frisk wanted to get out of the house for a bit. I hope you don’t mind us dropping by.” Papyrus explained.

   Undyne stepped back as she held open the door as she motioned towards the inside of her house.

   “Well don’t just stand there, come on in!” She gestured. The two of them entered, as she closed the door and began making her way towards the table, where Frisk and Papyrus had sat down.

   “Where’s Sans anyways?” She wondered.

   “He- He had a rough night. Didn’t get much sleep so he’s taking it easy back at the house.” Papyrus told. Undyne’s expression softened at the statement.

   “Ah. Well, I hope he feels better soon.”

   Frisk nodded in agreement.

   “So…do you guys want anything to eat or drink?” She suddenly offered. Frisk lit up at the idea, remembering the tea Undyne had made for her in the previous timeline. It felt like forever had passed since then, but she could still vividly recall the flowery tea she drank. Even if it _was_ scalding hot.

   “Oooh, can I have some of that golden flower tea you have?” Frisk asked kindly.

   “Sure thing squirt,” Undyne started as she turned around and began to search the cabinets. “Coming right-“

   She froze, stopping in her tracks before turning back around with a puzzled look.

   “Wait…How’d you know I had golden flower tea?”

   Frisk felt her blood run cold at the slip up. _Crap!_ She made a mistake.

   “Uh, well…Asgore told me about it.” She quickly covered. “He said that you’d make it for him every time he visits. He- He said that it was really good, so…I’d like to give it a try.”

   Lucky for her, she bought the lie. Her face scowled but Frisk could still see the blush prominent in her face.

   “Asgore, that dork…That was supposed to be a secret!” She muttered clearly flustered. “Alright, alright…I’ll make you the freaking tea. Anything for you Pap?” She offered.

   “No, I’m quite alright.” He answered. Undyne reached into the cupboards and started preparing the tea as Frisk eyed the piano that sat near the window. She slowly stood up and walked towards it, running her hand against the smooth glossy surface of the exterior.

   “Oh yeah. That’s my piano. You can play it if you want as you wait for the water to boil.” She proposed.

   “Do you know how to play?” Frisk wondered curiously as she sat down and lightly touched a key.

   “Well, I’m not very good at it, but I know a few songs I guess. Nothing fancy. I just like music.” Undyne admitted honestly. “Do you?” She asked back.

   Frisk nodded as she got lost in a memory from her past.

   “Yeah…Yeah, when I was little I had piano lessons everyday for a couple years. I might be a little rusty…” She warned as her fingers draped over the ivory keys. She pressed on them experimentally, playing a slow but very light melody. Liking the sound so far, she kept going, playing a song that her piano teacher had taught her. Very inspiring, and thoughtful. In Frisk’s mind, it was a hopeful song.

   Occasionally, her finger tripped up and pressed the wrong key, but it wasn’t an absolute train wreck at least. Undyne and Papyrus watched with intrigue and fascination, as Frisk lost herself in the music. Her legs and head moved slightly to the tune, faintly smiling to herself as she did so. Her piano teacher was strict but kind. It was one of the rare memories that she looked back upon with fondness.

   Eventually, the song came close to the end, as she slowed her movements and lifted the force behind her fingers. Her fingers settled on a final chord, as she held it out for as long as the piano would allow. When she finished, she took her fingers off the keys and looked up to see Papyrus and Undyne’s appalled faces.

   Papyrus clapped happily, as Undyne gawked.

   “A little rusty?! That was pretty damn good! You’re really talented Frisk!” Undyne praised. Frisk beamed in response.

   “Yes! That was very great! How did you learn to be so good?” He inquired.

   “Well…Like I said, I had a teacher on the surface who taught me how to play. That was a long time ago…” She reminisced.

   “Fuhuhu! I guess Mettaton better watch out! There’s a new star in the underground!”

   Frisk giggled as Undyne turned around and shut off the boiling water. She picked up a mug and began to pour the hot water along with the tea inside the cup.

   “Anyways, you totally deserve this.”

   Undyne served the tea at the table, motivating Frisk to get up from her spot at the piano back to the kitchen chair. She sat down across from Undyne, as she carefully enveloped her hands around the warm mug.

   “You’re a tiny little string bean huh?” Undyne bluntly stated, eyeing the child.

   Frisk chuckled at the strange euphemism as she waited patiently for her drink to cool down to a tolerable temperature. Undyne smiled to herself, but it soon turned bittersweet.

   “Ah…man…Frisk? I’m really sorry about how I acted when I first met you. You’re actually pretty sweet for a human. I’m sorry if I scared you.” She apologized.

   “It’s okay Undyne. You already said sorry. I forgive you.” She reassured her.

   “I know, I know. I still feel guilty about it though.” She admitted.

   “Don’t be. You were just doing your job.”

   “Not like Pap here, huh?” She teased flippantly.

   Papyrus groaned in annoyance. “Oh come on, look at her smooshy little tiny face! I couldn’t just send her away!”

   “True. I mean, if she got me to crack, I’m pretty sure Frisk is an adorable unstoppable force.”

   The child hummed happily as she blew on her drink before taking a sip.

   “Good?”

   “Delicious.” She complimented with bliss.

   As Frisk quietly sipped away at her tea, Undyne and Papyrus rambled to each other about underground news. She zoned out halfway through and simply took in the peacefulness of the situation. Nobody chasing after her. No one trying to hurt her. She wasn’t freezing, or starving, or alone. She was…happy. Even if it was only for now. She was glad to have that feeling, and she was going to hold onto it for as long as she could.

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! A chapter that didn't get extremely dark?? 
> 
> Sorry this one took a while to post. I had a bunch of family come over, (and this month is a crazy month for birthdays in my family.) It took me a while to get back into the swing of things.
> 
> Admittedly, I struggle when writing fluff because I juST WANT TO RUIN IT WITH ANGST. But I can't do that for this chapter and the next one after because I promised fluff and damn it that's what I'm going to do, because Frisk and Sans deserve to be happy. (Even if Sans wasn't doing so great at the start of this chapter). I kept having to go back and erase some stuff because it was starting to derail into the angst/hurt path and that defeated the whole purpose of having a huge chapter of pure fluff. Maybe the next one will be even more lighter/fluffy? Who knew it was hard making your characters NOT suffer? :'D
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always-  
> Stay cool!  
> ~CB


	8. The Ex-Queen's Gratitude

   Most of the day was spent at Undyne’s house, enjoying their time off from work and the everyday stresses from life. Papyrus encouraged Frisk to play more piano, to which see obliged, and had even taught Undyne a few pointers.

   “If you keep your back straight, then you won’t strain yourself as much.” Frisk told.

   “No kidding? But it’s more comfortable to sit like this…” Undyne complained.

   “Yeah, but in the long run, you’ll be able to play better.” She replied cheekily.

  “Okay, okay…”

   Papyrus sighed in admiration.

   “I wish we had a piano at home. I’m sure Sans would love to hear you play. He loves music! He even has a trombone, which he constantly annoys me with.” He added while frowning at the last part.

   “Who else would I annoy besides you?” Sans voice cut in, appearing out of nowhere.

   “Gah!” Papyrus jumped, before turning to his brother who had snuck up behind him.

   “About time you showed up!” Undyne teased. Sans’ grin became more relaxed as he genuinely smiled.

   “Good to see you Sans.” Frisk greeted kind heartedly. She swung her legs over the stool she was sharing with Undyne and stood up. Sans walked up to her and gave her a side hug as her brown eyes looked up at him in admiration.

   “Sorry to crash the party. Fashionably late as always.” He said flippantly.

  Papyrus shook his head and sighed.

   “So, I take it that you’re feeling better?” He presumed.

   “Well, I sure didn’t want to mope around all day.” Sans evaded. Papyrus accepted the vague answer anyways, glad to see his brother recover so quickly and join them.

   “Why don’t you sit down? I can make you something if you’d like?” Undyne offered motioning towards a kitchen chair.

   “No, that’s alright. As much as I’d like to stay, I’m actually here because I have to steal Frisk away for a bit.” He admitted.

   “Aww, what? But you _just_ got here.” Undyne wined. “Is it really that important that you have to leave now?”

   “Sorry. Asgore’s orders.”

   Undyne’s disappointment quickly morphed into curiosity. She whistled at the statement and crossed her arms.

   “Asgore’s orders? Hope you didn’t piss him off. I’m starting to really like you Frisk.” Undyne confessed.

   Frisk nodded in agreement, as uncertainty crossed over her face.

    “Don’t worry, it’s not anything bad. At least for us.” He reassured them. “But we really should go. I wouldn’t want to keep him waiting.”

   “Okay.” Frisk gave in.

   “Well then, if you two are leaving, I’ll see you later.” Papyrus wished farewell.

   “Yeah! See ya dorks!” Undyne added.

   And with the snap of his fingers, the two departed towards the capital. As they blinked back into reality, Sans held out his arm to prevent Frisk from stumbling forward through the double doors of judgement hall.

   She stared at them, suddenly realizing their location and how lucky she was for Sans to stop her.

   “Oh…Thank you.” She mumbled.

   “Don’t worry about it.”

   “So…what’s going on?” Frisk wondered.

   “Toriel is here.”

   Frisk’s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting the news at all.

   “Already? I mean, that was fast…right? Or…I don’t know. Maybe I’ve lost track of time.” Frisk speculated. Sans smiled slightly but shrugged.

   “Maybe. Who knows? But it doesn’t really matter does it? She’s here. She wants to see you so Asgore called me.”

   Frisk’s pondering was instantly outlived, as she now became excited to see the ex-queen. She smiled brightly, putting her hands flat against each other in a praying motion in front of her face.

   “Teleport us in!” She begged.

   Not wasting anymore time, Sans took them outside the throne room. As Frisk’s feet touched the floor she felt a slight surge of vertigo run through her. As she waited for it to pass, her ears were met with the arguing voices from inside the throne room.

   “-plan to do? Wait for another child to fall? Will you take their soul too? Or are you done trying to free us?”

   “-Toriel, it is not that simple-“

   “Not that simple, yet you had no qualms taking the lives of six children from before!”

   “I did not _relish_ in my criminal actions..!”

   Frisk glanced at Sans and grew hesitant.

   “I guess we better get in there before things get any uglier.” He suggested as he grabbed her hand. Together, they entered the throne room, cutting their conversation short as soon as they locked eyes with Toriel.

   The queen silently drew a sharp breath, completely going still at the sight of Frisk before her.

   “My child! You are okay!” She gleefully spoke, as she came closer to Frisk. Sans let go of her hand as Frisk ran towards Toriel, wrapping her arms around her without another thought. Toriel hugged back, as she began to soothingly smooth out the hair at the back of her head. While they were distracted, Asgore gave Sans an appreciative yet relieved look.

   “I missed you so much. I’m so glad that you’re alright…” She whispered to Frisk. She smiled in return and glimpsed back towards Sans. “It was foolish of me to let you leave knowing what could have happened.”

   “It’s alright…I had Sans to protect me.” She explained while staring at him. Sans rubbed the back of his head bashfully as he used his free hand to wave at Toriel.

   “Sans? You were the one protecting her? You have my utmost gratitude.” Toriel said.

   “Ah…it was…no big deal. Frisk’s a sweet kid.” He brushed off. Toriel’s head tilted slightly to the side as her expression became thoughtful.

   “You’re voice…sounds…familiar.” She observed.

   “My voice? Nah. I’m just a skeleton who likes knock-knock jokes.” He cheekily hinted at.

   “Oh! I knew it, heehee! You’re the voice from behind the door!” She finally realized. “I’m so glad we’ve finally met.”

   “Me too.” He agreed.

   “Thank you for keeping my promise.” Toriel thanked in a soft voice.

   “You’re welcome.” Sans genuinely replied.

   Soon after, Toriel had then offered Sans and Frisk to head back to her home for something to eat as they caught up. They both agreed, as the two of them waved goodbye to Asgore, to which he looked alleviated with the idea of the departure of the ex-queen.

   “I can zip us to the beginning of Snowdin. Hang onto Frisk real tight.” Sans instructed Toriel. Sans momentarily grasped the child’s free hand and teleported them out of the throne room. Frisk held onto Toriel while she regained her balance and let out small laugh.

   “That was quick. And fun.” She admitted cheerfully. Once everyone got their bearings, the three of them proceeded to the direction of the ruin’s exit.

   “Awfully cold here for a human child…” Toriel remarked holding Frisk’s hand.

   “It is. But it’s not all bad. The monsters here are nice.” Frisk replied optimistically.

   “I guess it’s perfect for skeletons like you, huh Sans?” Toriel added.

   “Oh definitely.”

   The door to the ruins was cracked open, enough for Toriel to push open the door, and let the three of them in. The door slowly shut behind them, as the chilly air of Snowdin was kept out.

   “Almost there. Right my child?”

   Frisk nodded but suddenly stopped in her tracks upon noticing the ominously placed patch of grass in the darkened room. Toriel didn’t notice as she kept walking forward as Sans slowed his pace, noting the strange reaction. Frisk’s eyes became glazed, as they bore into the green earth, becoming startlingly still.

   “It’s nice to have people come over. As you can imagine, I don’t get many visitors.” Toriel continued.

   “Yeah, I bet…” Sans answered back, eyes locked onto the frozen child. Very gently, he pulled Frisk by the hand, luring her quickly towards Toriel’s direction. Frisk’s legs thankfully moved along with him, but her head was still turned behind her as they walked.

   “What’s going on? You alright?” Sans asked in a low voice.

   “Y-Yeah…yeah…just…a memory.”

   “You gonna be okay?” He worried.

   “Yeah…Just…stupid Flowey…ruining junk.” She muttered as she shook her head. She could somehow hear his shrill voice playing in her head.

   _“That’s a wonderful idea!”_

She frowned momentarily, unsure of when she had heard him say that.

   “You can say that again.” Sans mumbled.

_“That’s a wonderful idea!”_

   “Stupid Flowey ruining junk.” She repeated with a relaxed smile. Seeing her joking nature, Sans smiled slightly in response as they both quickened their pace to catch up to Toriel. As they walked, Sans couldn’t help but notice the color of the floor. It was painted purple, but as they continued, the hues turned darker.

   In no time flat, they were pushing through another set of doors and climbing up a staircase. As they grew closer, it became easier to see, and they eventually reached the first floor of Toriel’s house.

  Inside was cozy and warm, and their noses were filled with the scent of vanilla. Sans had never in any timeline before visited Toriel’s house. He’s known the underground like the back of his hand, except of course, the ruins. During his boredom through the time loops caused by the resets, the logical solution would have been to explore them. Unfortunately, his magical abilities had limits.

   Not only was it forbidden by the King to enter the ruins in the first place, but Sans’ teleportation wouldn’t have made it possible. To use a shortcut, Sans must know where his desired location will be once he’s on the other side. Without having any idea on what the ruins looked like, he couldn’t calculate or predict where his entire being would land. He couldn’t simply teleport to a place that was unknown to him or that his mind couldn’t picture.

   Fortunately, not only was he lucky to have the opportunity to finally see it, thus creating more paths for shortcuts, but the house was- as far as he could tell- an exact replica of Asgore’s home.

   _Well that helps_.

   “Right this way.” Toriel encouraged as she led them all to the living room. Asgore’s house may have been identical to Toriel’s, but the ex-queen’s house felt more welcoming compared to the very dull colors he had painted on his walls and floor.

   They all sat at the nearby table, ready to talk.

   “My child…you look a lot happier now compared to when I first met you.” Toriel noted. Frisk nodded affirmatively.

   “I feel a lot happier too.”

   “Do you? Well I am very glad to hear it!” Toriel replied. “You are much more talkative now I see. I couldn’t get a word out of you before. You have a lovely voice.”

   Frisk smiled kindly at the appraise.

   “Would you mind telling me your name now?” Toriel wondered.

   “Frisk.”

   “Frisk! What a delightful name. I’m very happy to finally know it.” Toriel said. “Well, Frisk…I wanted to apologize for burdening you with a very important decision. No child should have to choose between life and death…” She said sorrowfully. “But I’m very glad that you were able to find common ground with Asgore.”

   “Me too.”

   “And you Sans,” Toriel suddenly brought up. “I know I have already said this but thank you for looking after Frisk. At least some monsters are still kind enough to do the right thing.”

   “Heh. It’s not a big deal. Frisk is a good kid.”

   “…So, Frisk…what would be your next course of action? Are you planning on returning home on the surface world?” Toriel wondered.

   “No…not really. I want to stay with Sans for a little while.” She answered slowly.

   “I see. Sound like Sans really grew on you.” Toriel commented playfully.

   “No, no…I like to think that Frisk grew on _me._ ” He corrected.

   Toriel smiled at the comment. “Well at least you have a good home Frisk. And you can always visit here in the ruins too, although there isn’t much to see here, so I understand why you would want to stay in Snowdin.”

   Frisk nodded appreciatively.

   “Are you two hungry? I can prepare some lunch for us all if you’d like.”

   “Yes please. You make the best food.” Frisk lit up.

   As Toriel got up from her chair she casually walked over to the fireplace and reached down into the brick interior. Her paw flickered with light as a small ember sparked to life in the palm of her hand. Sans and Frisk watched curiously as she transferred the fire magic to the flammable logs resting in the fireplace. She took her hand out, unphased from the heat of her own magic and motioned towards the chair.

   “You can sit here while you wait Frisk. Sans, would you care to help?”

  “Of course.” He accepted as they both entered the kitchen. Once they were out of earshot Toriel began looking in the cupboards for bread.

   “Would you mind getting plates, and a cutting board?”

   “…Sure.” He complied, searching through the cupboards atop the stove.

   As Toriel set the sliced bread on the counter, she searched inside the refrigerator for ingredients for their lunch.

   “Frisk looks different from the last time I saw her.” She began. “In a good way.”

   Sans nodded, remembering the first time he saw her in the woods coming out of the ruins.

   “Yeah. I agree.”

   “When I first found her…she looked…miserable. I suppose her life above ground must not have been a good one. She looked like she hadn’t eaten in days. She wouldn’t talk either. She was so weak and quiet…I had to do something.” Toriel recalled. “Her hands and face were scratched up from the fall. I used my healing magic and treated them however. I hope she’s in better hands with you.”

   “Thank you Toriel.” Sans sincerely replied, smiling a bit. She closed the fridge as she took out an avocado, tomato, and lettuce. Sans watched carefully as she ran the tomatoes and lettuce through the tap water, and placed all the ingredients on the cutting board.

   “Now then…let me get a knife and-“

   Sans felt his heart rate increase as a sickening feeling spread through his body as flashes from his recent nightmare threatened to spill into his mind.

   “Um...Toriel…I hope you don’t mind, but…I’m gonna have to step out for a second while you cut…everything up.” He interrupted. “It’s just that…I’m afraid of knives.” He softly admitted with embarrassment.

   “Oh dear! I’m sorry to hear that. Don’t worry Sans, you don’t have to be here in the kitchen any longer if you wish. I’m glad you told me so that I wouldn’t frighten you or bring up any bad memories.”

   “Thanks…a little embarrassing considered that I’m, you know…a skeleton? But I appreciate your understanding.” He said as he calmly turned away and exited the kitchen.

   When he entered the living room yet again, Frisk was sitting comfortably on the recliner, hands stretched out towards the cozy fireplace. Sans relaxed upon the sight, as his fear melted away and eased his mind. He wordlessly approached the recliner and sat on the floor, back laying against the bottom of the chair.

   He looked up at his daughter, breath rising and falling steadily as she brought her arms in against herself as she daydreamed into the fire.

   Peaceful.

   Despite the rocky start to his day, he was actually quite content at the moment. He’d be damned to let a nightmare ruin it now that Frisk finally looked happy for once. Sure, she looked tired, but it wasn’t the same tired he once saw in her eyes.

   This exhaustion was different from the lingering effects of depression. She was tired because she finally, for once, felt comfortable and safe enough to not worry about what would happen to her if she did.

   Like a normal kid.

   “Toriel’s making sandwiches.” Sans said, his deep voice thrumming softly, almost lulling the relaxed child to sleep.

   “Mmm…sounds nice.”

   “She’s putting avocado in it.”

   “Never tried avocado in a sandwich.” Frisk mumbled.

   “Neither have I.” Sans admitted. “But I’m willing to try it.”

   They both sat in comfortable silence, a small smile spreading across Frisk’s face.

   “I love this.”

   Sans looked up to her, noting the twinkle in her eye.

   “Me too.” He agreed wistfully.

   “I love _you_ , dad.”

   Sans felt his soul swell at the words as the familiar warmth flooded through his body, and his fixed grin grew into a bigger smile.

   “I love you too Frisk.”

  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead, I swear. *sweats nervously*
> 
> Wasn't that just a cute little chapter? Good to see Sans bounce back after such a terrifying nightmare. Good ol' father/daughter bonding eh? 
> 
> Fluff is nice.
> 
> ...But something else is missing...
> 
> Anyways, thank you all so much for being patient. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I wish you all a good day/night depending on when you read this.  
> Stay Cool!  
> ~CB


	9. Gone

   After having lunch with Toriel, Sans and Frisk had decided to wrap it up, and say their goodbyes. They thanked her for the delicious meal and urged her to visit them whenever she liked.

   Sans was exhausted, especially after teleporting so often and with so many people. It was beginning to strain him, and he decided that it would be best if they went home. A major part of him wanted to walk home with all things considered. But the thought of walking back to the patch of grass that had triggered a memory in Frisk seemed more concerning. He didn’t want her to go back through there. He sighed, adding onto his mental list of ‘places to avoid in the underground’.

   Taking Frisk’s hand, he zipped them both out of there and into the house.

   It had become routine for Sans to catch her before she tripped over herself as they touched ground. This time however, Sans had landed onto his knees, as Frisk caught herself from doing the same. She whipped her head towards his direction, alarm slowly creeping in at the sound of his ragged breathing. His hand was pushed against his left eye socket as it burned with uncontrolled magic.

   “Sans?! Are you okay?” Frisk worried, as she laid her hands on his jacket sleeve and back.

   **“Ahhhhh….y-yeah It…It just burns a little.”** He admitted through shaky breathes.

   “What should I do? Do you want me to call someone?”

   **“No no…I’ll be fine.”** He immediately answered.

   Frisk watched him warily, unsure of what to do to ease his pain. She did her best to guide him back onto his feet. Thankfully, he was able to stand, and he slowly made his way to sit on the couch.

   “Can’t we get monster food to heal you up?” She suggested.

   Sans took a deep breath in to quell the pain. Thankfully it was working, and the burning sensation from within his eye socket was fading.

   **“Unless it’s a monster candy, it ain’t gonna help. Anyways…It’s not effecting my HP…yet…”** He said while muttering the last part to himself. Still, he was unconcerned. The negative effects were going away, and he had never reached a point where he had started taking damage. He focused more on his breathing, and the pain lifted. He closed his eyes for a few moments as Frisk sat down next to him, watching his every move.

   “So…what’s the deal with monster food and its healing properties?” Frisk wondered.

   “Most monster food heals injuries sustained from another monster or outside source.” Sans began as he finally opened his eyes. Frisk was happy to see the bout of pain had left as quickly as it came. “But monster food won’t heal damage inflicted from yourself- accidental or not- _except_ monster candy.”

   “Why monster candy?”

   “Monster candy is made with a rare type of healing property laced into the ingredients. It’s not used in anything else because no one else is capable of making it anymore…” He ended sadly.

   “Actually…there’s a whole bowl full of them back in the ruins. I had taken one, but I think I might’ve eaten it already.” Frisk told.

   “Really?” Sans said with confoundment. “Huh. Well look at that.”

   Frisk smiled slightly as she carefully placed her hand on top of Sans’. His bewilderment melted into a warm yet tired smile.

   “You okay now?” She asked softly.

   “Yeah. I’m okay kid.”

   After Sans’ episode, the rest of the day had eased into a relaxing night. Papyrus came home around dinner time and proceeded to warm up some leftover spaghetti. They ate together and dispersed after the meal, each resuming their usual business.

   As the night went on, exhaustion overcame them. Papyrus was the first to go to bed, wishing Sans and Frisk a goodnight before returning to his room. The two of them had remained in the living room, with Frisk drawing away happily in her sketchbook, and Sans reading one of numerous parenting books from the library.

   “How’d you learn how to play piano kiddo? Papyrus told me you have a real gift.” He suddenly brought up as he read _“Encouragement of New Hobbies”._

“Oh, I had learned a few things about it when my dad was alive…My mom had paid for a teacher to give me lessons for about two years.”

   “Why’d she stop?” He wondered.

   “…Cuz then dad was gone. And that’s when…she started to hate me…” She quietly trailed off as her pencil movements came to a slow stop.

   “…Stars…” Sans whispered to himself. “You know…If you really want to, I could see if I could get you a keyboard?”

   Frisk’s eyes lit up.

   “Woah, really? I would love that!” She said, voice getting higher. “That would be so cool!”

   Sans’ smile grew bigger at the enthusiasm radiating from her.

   “Sure. We could start searching for one tomorrow. Or if anything, I could ask if Alphys could make you one.”

   Frisk smiled happily.

   “Okay!”

  ~---~

   As Sans tucked her into bed, he began to think about the layout of the shed.

   “Maybe we should make a hallway that leads into the house for you…This way we won’t have to keep walking outside or teleporting back and forth.”

   “That sounds kind of expensive…and difficult.” She softy replied.

   “Maybe on the surface. But you forget that we have magic kiddo.” Sans replied optimistically. He winked and lifted a finger, carefully draping the blankets from her bed over his daughter showcasing his own skill. “I mean, give us _some_ credit. How do you think we built New Home so quickly?”

   Frisk shrugged and grinned slightly as she sank lower into her bed. The blankets rose higher and covered her all the way from her toes to her chin.

   “Okay. Fair enough.”

   Sans leaned over and ruffled the top of her hair. She shut her eyes as he gave her a skeletal kiss on the head and stepped away from the bed.

   “Goodnight sweet pea.”

   “Goodnight dad.”

   The warmth that filled up his soul was enough to ward off the chill of the night, as he stepped out of the shed, hitting the light on his way out.

~---~

   Sans had tried to get some sleep as soon as he put Frisk to bed. He started off by reading more of his books, but eventually concluded that the books weren’t making him feel sleepy enough. He put them away for the time being and had turned off all the lights as he made himself comfortable in bed. He laid there for hours, with little luck, not feeling tired enough to sleep.

   Despite his physical exhaustion, his mind was still completely awake. It didn’t help matters that his bad dream from last night had prevented him from getting a good night sleep- nor did he want to return to the possibility of getting another night terror like that.

   He sighed in frustration as he rubbed his eye sockets tiredly. All he wanted was some rest.

   Before he could throw in the towel and stand up from his bed, a soft knock on the door alerted his attention. He pushed his upper body up to see the doorway and saw a small silhouette in the darkness.

   “Frisk?” Sans called out quietly. Not having the energy to get up just yet, he lifted his index finger and flicked on the lamp at his bedside using his magic.

   Having better lighting to look at her, he now noticed the blanket she had wrapped around her head and shoulders. A small dusting of snowflakes coated the top portion of the blanket and the bottoms of her shoes.

   “Hey baby bones. What’s going on?” He wondered.

   “I couldn’t sleep.” She spoke, her voice muffled underneath the blankets.

   “C’mere…” He called, while motioning towards himself. She willingly went to him and sat on the edge of the bed. “You okay?” He worried. She shrugged in response.

   “I’m worried about Flowey.” She admitted.

   Sans would have agreed but didn’t want to frighten his daughter any more than she already was.

   “You want to sleep here tonight?” Sans offered. Frisk nodded and kicked off her shoes.

   Scooting over, Sans allowed her to have some space laying next to her as she cocooned herself in her own blankets.

   “Thank you.” She said. “I don’t really feel tired, but at least you’re here.”

   Sans’ heart swelled, and he smiled slightly before turning off the lamp again. He wore nothing but his signature white T-shirt and basketball shorts while his jacket and slippers were tossed lazily on the floor near him. In the darkness, Frisk could see his soul glowing white beneath his shirt and ribcage.

   “So tell me kiddo,” Sans began as he stared into the ceiling. “Why are you worried about the garden weed?”

   “I don’t know…he’s just been really quiet for a while. Not only that, but everywhere that we go, I can’t help but get the feeling that we’re being watched…It’s making me feel paranoid.” She explained.

   Sans couldn’t agree more. He was glad he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

   “Maybe that’s his plan. He’s trying to drive us insane.” Sans considered. “But you should know that Flowey would never do anything in broad daylight.”

   “I know. But I can’t help but think what his goal is.”

   “…I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. Flowey can’t get to us as easily anymore. You’re completely safe.” He reasoned.

   Despite his words, Sans noticed that Frisk didn’t look too convinced.

   “Frisk, sweetie, look at me.”

   Her brown eyes met his gaze, and with deep sincerity and protectiveness he said-

   “I will do _everything_ in my power to keep you away from harm. As my duty as a deviant sentry, as your friend, and as _your father,_ I will do my best to keep you safe.” He emphasized.

   Hearing the dedication and assurance in his voice, Frisk was able to accept them with more trust than she did before.

   “Okay.” She acknowledged. “Okay…”

   “Good.” Sans finalized. Frisk sighed, letting the tension slowly melt away from her body. They remained there in peaceful silence, just listening to the blissful silence of the night. It was clear that the two of them, despite having that heart to heart, were not going to fall asleep anytime soon.

   A low growling from Frisk’s stomach made Sans turn his head towards Frisk, who was still wrapped up inside her blankets.

   “You hungry?” Sans wondered with slight amusement.

   “Maybe just a little bit.” Frisk shyly answered.

   “Aww Frisk, if you were feeling hungry you should’ve let me know.” He said feeling a bit guilty.

   “I’m sorry.” She apologized as she sank back into the mass of blankets surrounding her.

   “Don’t be. Hunger can easily be solved with a quick trip to Grillby’s.”

   A smile quickly returned to the human child’s face as her head returned from beneath the covers.

   “Seriously Sans? It’s a little late for Grillby’s, don’t you think?” She reasoned.

   “It’s never too late for Grillby’s.” Sans countered, while hitting the lights yet again. “Just a quick midnight snack. And I’m sure a talking burrito would love to join me. Or am I wrong?” Sans teased motioning to Frisk’s wrapped up form. She giggled and slowly turned her body over so that her feet would touch the floor.

   “Okay. The burrito would take you up on the offer.” She jokingly replied.

   Sans happily stood up and helped Frisk onto her feet. The blanket slowly drooped off her body and settled into a heap on the bed. She slowly put her shoes on as Sans picked up his jacket from off the floor. He gave it a firm shake, brushing off anything that may have clung onto the fabric, and slipped on his pink slippers.

   “Don’t worry about your coat. I can just teleport us there.” Sans told. Frisk nodded and grew close to Sans, preparing for the quick trip to Grillby’s. In the blink of an eye, they both were inside the restaurant.

   Not wasting any time, Sans had confidently walked up to the barstools and pulled out two chairs for Frisk and himself. Grillby was there wiping down the countertop until Sans had approached them.

   “Heya Grillbz. Hope we aren’t intruding. The kiddo and I just wanted a midnight snack.” Sans explained.

   “Oh you’re not intruding Sans…but…why’d you say ‘we’?” Grillby wondered.

   Sans frowned slightly.

   “Me and the kid-“ He began to answer as he pointed next to him.

   The barstool was empty.

   He quickly turned around and only saw the emptiness of the bar.

   “-do.” Sans slowly finished.

   “I only saw you appear Sans.” Grillby spoke. “Just you.”

   Sans immediately sprang up to his feet, almost knocking over the barstool with panic.

   “ _FUCK.”_

He stormed out of the restaurant and was instantly hit with the icy coldness of Snowdin’s atmosphere. His eyes began to scan the area but didn’t find any sign of Frisk anywhere.

   “Frisk?” He called. “Shit, shit, shit…”

   He cursed to himself as he began to frantically search throughout the whole town.

   The teleportation process. Something had went wrong. Had she not held onto him? He should’ve grabbed her hand to make sure. Where could she have ended up?

   “She could be anywhere in the underground…” Sans muttered to himself. He began to call out her name again.

   “Frisk!...Frisk, where are you?”

   A million thoughts swarmed through Sans’ mind. What could’ve happened to her? What if she got seriously hurt from the landing? She could’ve ended up in the sky, or stuck phased through a wall for all he knew. If she wasn’t in Snowdin or the ruins, then the monsters there were more likely to attack her.

   “Frisk?!”

   After combing through Snowdin, Sans had decided to look closer towards the beginning.

   He checked near his sentry station, and where all of Papyrus’ puzzles had been set up. He even checked as far as where the forest of Snowdin begins towards the exit of the ruins.

   **“Frisk!”**

Sans repeatedly cursed to himself as he teleported back to the town. He searched the shed and inside the house, in hopes of her returning or somehow not making through the teleportation at all.

   She was not there.

   He ruled out Snowdin and continued his search in Waterfall.

   **“Frisk?! Frisk!”**

His calls echoed through out the caves, and he called and called as each step and minute passed looking for his child. He searched high and low, through the darkest and most hidden parts of Waterfall. He searched through the dump and even Temmie Village. There weren’t many places for her to be hiding, which was unfortunate because he could not find any signs of her. There were no monsters out- not at this hour- so that made it harder to know if there was anyone who saw her.

   Crossing off Waterfall, he proceeded into Hotland. His eye burned ever so slightly from the magic and stress, but he continued his search anyway.

   **“FRISK!”**

   He was getting desperate. He needed to find her soon. Although Snowdin was a friendly and accepting town, and they had somehow managed to convince Asgore of her nonthreatening behavior, the monsters of Hotland weren’t naïve, nor friendly.

   He made the painful effort of going through each level of Hotland, unfazed by the intense heat. He passed by some of Mettaton’s studios shouting her name, praying to the stars for a response or finding.

   He passed through Muffet’s shop and came out with nothing.

   Now getting closer to the core, Sans searched inside the MTT Resort, looking through the fancy restaurant and into the burger emporium. He passed by the hotel rooms and took a glance inside the elevator. Not caring about how he must have looked to the third shift employees, he climbed his way towards the core.

   **“FRISK!!”**

   He meticulously scoured every winding hallway and room connected within each other with no luck. He desperately called to his daughter but came up with nothing.

   That only left the capital and the ruins.

   The castle and Asgore’s home were off limits during this hour for security reasons. The urgency to check there was low, for if Frisk somehow ended up in the castle, at least she would be in the most fortified and protected place in the underground. If she had ended up in Asgore’s house, then the king was sure to alert Sans by a phone call.

   That only left a very small area of the capital to check out. She wasn’t in the elevator and she wasn’t located on any of the pathways. Deciding that she wasn’t out in the open, he contemplated on searching the ruins. It would most likely end up the same if Frisk made it to Toriel’s house. She would at least be safe, but what about the rest of the ruins? Sans couldn’t just teleport there. He had no idea what the area looked like, therefore making it impossible.

   He searched through every path, every corner, every room. No stone was left unturned.

   He could not find her.

   A panic attack threatened to come over him, but he ignored it as he zipped back to Snowdin to check the entire underground again.

   A few hours had passed and he still hadn’t found her.

   He checked again, screaming her name, only coming up with nothing.

   He teleported back to the ruin’s exit, shakily landing on his feet, and eventually falling to his knees. His breathing was labored, and his left eye emitted a plume of cyan smoke as he shouted to the empty air around him, completely overwhelmed with emotion. He had to tell Papyrus. He had to tell everyone. If they all couldn’t find her by the end of the night…

 **** Flowey most likely had taken her.

The fear pumping through Sans’ chest motivated him to stand, and teleport to the house. Almost collapsing a second time, he pulled himself together and marched up to Papyrus’ door. He banged on it desperately, breathing still rugged, his body shaking from the stress.

   Papyrus didn’t waste any time waking up and opening the door.

   “Sans…? What’s wrong? Why are you up so early?”

   **“P..Pap…”** He stammered. Papyrus noticeably became more alert upon seeing his brother’s physical state.

    **“She’s gone.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Whistle*  
> Oh boy, this is a fine mess.
> 
> I was gone for the whole month of October, so I do apologize for the long wait. I recently got a new job, (and this time I actually like it.)
> 
> Also, Deltarune. That's a thing that happened. (Thanks Tobyfox.)


	10. Sound the Alarm

   To say that Frisk had a rough landing was an understatement. Instead of appearing at Grillby’s, she crashed onto her hands and knees, rough gravel scraping the skin on her palms.

  “Ouch…” She mumbled as she quickly brought herself back up to her feet. She brushed off the dirt and small pebbles that clung onto her pants and sleeves. Finally gathering her bearings, she found that she was in Waterfall.

   How’d she get here? Did something go wrong during the teleportation process? She couldn’t remember if she held onto Sans’ hand or not. She was lucky she didn’t get seriously hurt.

   “Sans?” She called out, hearing her voice echo through the caverns. She didn’t hear a reply, and suddenly felt vulnerable.

   _I better move quick before I encounter a monster_ , she thought to herself. The last thing she needed was to get into a fight.

   Just as she turned around back into the direction of Snowdin, a voice had stopped her in her tracks.

   “I’m afraid I’m going have to stop you right there _human_.” The unfamiliar voice interrupted.

   Frisk turned around and met the unknown monster face to face. A sense of apprehension flooded over her, completely thrown off guard upon seeing the stranger. Frisk knew that her memory was a little spotty, especially regarding the other timelines, but she was certain she would’ve remembered a monster like him.

   He was tall- about Papyrus’ height. He wore an elegant jet-black coat, with three little buttons sewn down the middle. The smooth coat flowed down towards his feet, parting in the center and exposing his matching black pants and shoes. Underneath the coat was an off-white turtleneck that was only visible from the lapels of the coat or higher. But the most shocking sight was his face and body.

   He was a skeleton.

   It was obvious from the skull structure and bareness of his hands. Just like a human, but with all the visible nooks and crannies in each digit and joint.

   His eyes unnerved Frisk, for they were empty with no eye lights in them at all, just as Papyrus had. However, there were two deep cracks connected from each eye. The crack above his right socket looked as if it wrapped up to the top of his head. The left socket had one that connected to his mouth. Unlike the skeletons that Frisk knew, he had no nasal bone, which continued to unsettle Frisk.

   “Wh…what do you mean? Who are you?” She questioned cautiously.

   “My name does not concern you at this time. As of right now, you must come with me.” He instructed.

   “I don’t want to go anywhere without Sans. I don’t know you…” Frisk spoke as she took a step back.

   The stranger responded by taking a step forward.

   “I think you misunderstood. I’m not _asking_ for your permission.”

   Frisk shook her head and slowly took a few more steps back.

   “Stay away from me…” She timidly replied.

   He took a couple steps forward.

   Seeing the persistent yet threatening behavior, she decided that she needed to flee.

   Turning on her heels, she ran in a straight direction towards Snowdin. The stranger kept his normal walking pace, choosing to lag behind.

   Frisk should’ve been alarmed by the calmness in his demeanor, but right now her mind was screaming at her to get to safety. She ran as fast as she could, adrenaline pumping through her as her mind raced a million thoughts.

   Then her face smacked directly into the black and white creature with no notice whatsoever. She felt his hand grip tightly around her skinny arm, trapping her where she stood. Her eyes shrank in horror as she realized just what type of monster she was up against.

   “I had tried doing things the easy way, but you gave me no choice.” He said. Apparently, the stranger could teleport, which was unexpected in itself. She thought Sans was the only monster who had that ability. Not only that, but he had summoned another hand altogether that floated freely away from his body, gripping onto Frisk while also keeping his other two hands free. The hands, upon closer examination looked as if a cookie cutter had removed a perfect circle from the center of his palms.

   Snapping out of her frozen state of fear, Frisk vainly tried to free her arm. With her other hand, she attempted to strike his chest. He didn’t bother blocking it, letting her weak fist hit him with the little force behind it.

   “That’s enough.” He commanded. “Your efforts are meaningless.”

   “No! Please! I just want to go home!” She begged.

   “Your miserable begging won’t work on me. Now…” He trailed off. Using his summoned hand, he was able to lift Frisk off the ground by her arm.

   “Ow!” She gripped at the mishandling.

   “Let’s go.” The stranger finished. Frisk’s small whine was cut short at the proclamation.

   “No! No, no wait! Sans! SAN-“

   And the darkness clouded over them as the two teleported away.

~---~

   Sans was sitting on the edge of the couch, with his hands folded up against his face and his leg bouncing up and down impatiently. Papyrus had been fully awake and started making phone calls to anyone who could help. Sans watched him, as he raked his mind for any possible places he missed.

   “Hi Undyne. It’s Papyrus.” He greeted quickly. Sans could only hear the tone of Undyne’s voice since all other words were unintelligible from how far he was sitting. She sounded tired, but she heard her voice go up a little at the end, most likely asking him a question.

   “Sorry. It’s an emergency.” Papyrus stated with importance. She heard her ask another question.

   “No, I’m okay. We’re okay. Look…” He began. “I’m calling because Sans can’t find Frisk.”

   Undyne’s volume increased as Sans heard the words ‘what’ and ‘find her’ in a more questioning tone.

   “She’s gone missing and he’s searched everywhere in the entire underground _twice_.” He emphasized shooting a glance to his ill looking brother. “He’s lucky he hasn’t collapsed yet from all the magic he’s been using.” He muttered.

    The warrior’s voice sounded more concerned judging from the way her voice lowered upon uttering a swear word.

   “Yes. I think that would be for the best. We’ll be here.” Papyrus agreed. “Please hurry.” He also added before ending the call. He sighed and turned towards his brother, whose leg finally stopped bouncing as he removed the folded hands from his face.

   “Well?” He pushed.

   “Undyne is on her way over here. She plans on telling Asgore and Gerson about what’s happening. Those two will alert the royal guards to start a search for her.”

   “Alright…I guess I should let Toriel know…Stars…” Sans mumbled as the stress resumed its takeover.

   “It will be alright Sans. We’ll find her.” Papyrus consoled.

   But despite his reassuring words, Sans didn’t fully believe that he would find her so easily. He sighed heavily and took out his phone to call Toriel.

   She didn’t pick up, which was understandable due to the hour he was calling at. He opted in leaving a voicemail for her.

   “Hey…Toriel. It’s me Sans. Listen…this morning, Frisk and I had gotten separated, and I can’t find her. I’ve looked everywhere in the entire underground for the past two hours, and I’ve checked everywhere I could think of. The only place I haven’t checked is the ruins and the capital. Me and Pap asked the king for help. We’re all trying to find her. If you could please call back and let me know if you’ve seen her, then please do. Otherwise…we’ll keep looking. I’m…I’m sorry that this happened. If anything turns up, I’ll call again. Alright…that’s it for now. Goodbye.”

   He hung up, now feeling like the phone in his hand had increased in weight. He pocketed it, and locked eyes with his brother.

   “I’m so fucking stupid…” He whispered. Papyrus caught that and rushed over to sit next to Sans on the couch.

   “Hey, don’t talk like that. Accidents happen Sans. Don’t give up yet, alright?” He encouraged. Sans nodded, still somewhat lost in his own thoughts.

   Time passed, and they heard a strong knock at the front door. Papyrus immediately sprang to his feet and walked over to the door, opening it up for the fish warrior standing on the other side. She entered the house quickly, fully equipped in her armor, save for the helmet.

   “I came as soon as I could.” She began as Papyrus shut the door behind her. “Start from the beginning. How’d this happen?”

   “Last night…Frisk had come into my room because we both couldn’t sleep.” Sans piped up. “We tried to get some rest, but we just couldn’t fall asleep. Frisk told me that she was hungry, and I decided that we should go to Grillby’s for a late-night snack.” He explained.

   “And then..?” Undyne wondered.

   “Then we got up and…I tried to teleport us there so we wouldn’t have to walk…But when I got to Grillby’s, she wasn’t there with me. That’s when I started to search everywhere.”

   Undyne sighed in a combination of frustration and stress.

   “So you’re telling me, that Frisk is gone because you both wanted a midnight snack?”

   Sans didn’t respond.

   “You’re an idiot, you know that?” Undyne unexpectantly spat out.

   “Undyne-“ Papyrus began.

   “I know.” Sans cut off. Undyne was unfazed by his response as she stepped closer to him, metal boots clinking heavily against the floor. She stared down at Sans, who refused to make eye contact with her.

   “Get up. We’re going to find her.” She commanded. “As part of your duty as sentry, AND as her caretaker.”

   Sans finally looked up at her and saw something else besides frustration on her face.

   Worry.

   The shorter skeleton nodded and got up to his feet, to help continue the search.

~---~

   The three of them went straight to the capital following their conversation. Going through the large doors to the King’s castle, Sans was greeted by the orange and yellow rays of light from the windows of Judgement Hall.

   He sighed heavily, not liking the sinking feeling in his stomach. He focused on something- _anything_ else but the place they were walking through. The sound of Undyne’s boots echoing loudly wasn’t enough to ground him.

   “-ey….HEY.”

   Sans snapped out of his thoughts and brought his attention to Papyrus who had apparently been calling him.

   “Are you alright? Your bones look more white than usual.” He noted.

   Sans nodded.

   “Let’s just get to Asgore.” He simply said. They decided to pick up the pace.

    As they grew closer to the throne room, they could see Asgore standing outside the doorway.

   “Let’s gather up the royal guard.” Undyne spoke, as all four of them walked straight into the throne room.

   “Already taken care of. Sans, care to explain what’s going on?” Asgore suggested.

   “The short answer is, that I lost Frisk after teleporting to Grillby’s. She could be anywhere…” He mumbled.

   “Alright. Have you checked in Waterfall, or Hotland?” He brought up.

   “Yes, I’ve checked both. I checked all of Snowdin too and did it all twice.”

   “Oh dear…” He mumbled while stroking his full-grown beard. “This is quite a predicament.”

   “We should start making signs to help find her. If anyone has seen anything then maybe they can help.” Papyrus brought up. Undyne slapped him affectionately on the shoulder.

   “Good idea. We should probably ask Alphys to print them out.”

   “Sans, do you have any photographs of Frisk?” Asgore wondered. He shook his head.

   “No…I…I don’t.” He suddenly realized. How long had he known Frisk? He wasn’t sure due to all the timeline shenanigans they pulled. But he was practically facepalming at the fact that he didn’t have a single photo of his daughter after all the time they spent together.

   “It’s alright. Perhaps you should talk to Alphys. She may be able to recover an image for you.”

   Before Sans could reply, his cell phone rang loudly in his pocket. He fished it out, recognizing the number, giving a second to mentally prepare himself for the upcoming conversation.

   “Hey Tori.”

   _“She’s not here. Have you found her?”_ Toriel said, not bothering to say hello.

   “No. Not yet. We have a search party now.” He informed.

   _“Oh no…Where could she have gone? Where exactly did you lose her?”_

“I tried to teleport us to Grillby’s, but she didn’t make it on the other side.”

   _“Grillby’s? That restaurant in Snowdin?”_

“Yeah. That’s the one.”

“ _Okay_ … _So what now? Is there anything I can do to help?”_

“I don’t…know.” He hesitantly replied. It seemed to be all he could say today. “Keep an eye out I guess. I’m going to Alphys. I think we should start letting monsters know what’s going on.”

   _“Sans, you can’t be serious. Some of the monsters in Hotland and Waterfall aren’t even aware that Frisk is here. Letting them know that she’s a human child will only put her in further danger.”_

   “We don’t need to tell everyone that she’s human. Some monsters have no idea what a human even looks like. Hell, some Snowdin folk who’ve seen her think she’s a rare type of monster-“

_“Hotland and Waterfall monsters are less oblivious than the Snowdin monsters. The monsters living there are hundreds of years old. Some have very strong memories from the war. You can’t fool them Sans.”_

   “I _know._ ” He ground out. As Undyne and Asgore spoke, Sans took a hold of Papyrus’ hand and began to lead the both of them out of the throne room. He went along with him, warily watching Undyne as they left. _“_ What else am I supposed to do?”

The other end of the line went quiet, as Sans had feared that he let his frustration get the best of him.

   “Look…Toriel…I didn’t mean to sound like a jerk. I’m just scared…”He admitted, earning a sorrowful glance from his brother. His voice came out softer and weaker than he would have liked.

   _“Of course…I’m sorry too Sans. I know that she means a lot to you.”_ Toriel apologized. _“But the day is still young. Do what you must to search for her, and I’ll see if I can do anything on my end.”_

“Okay…I’ll call you if anything happens. Keep me posted.”

   And with that, he hung up.

   “Come on Pap. Let’s go to Alphys.”

   “Brother, I think we should take the ferry-“

   “There’s no time for that. Every second that ticks by is more and more time Frisk is in danger.” Sans countered while simultaneously preparing them for another teleportation trip.

   “No, you aren’t _listening!_ ” Papyrus shouted as he angrily pulled his arm away from Sans’ grasp. “You’re pushing your powers and your body too hard. Alphys said your magic becomes unstable, _especially_ when undergoing stressful situations.”

   “I’ve kept it under control for a while now. I can get through this.” Sans resisted.

   “Sans, you know that this time is different. You look exhausted already, and the day hasn’t even fully begun.”

   “ _I. Can. Do it.”_ He insisted.

   Papyrus took a good look at him. The circles shadowing his eye sockets appeared darker than usual. His eye lights were dim and small, and his overall posture and attitude told him otherwise. He was almost hunching over, hands buried deeply in his pockets. Papyrus frowned, concerned, but did not say anything as Sans stared back at him, almost daring him to protest.

   “Fine.” Papyrus gave in. “Take us to Alphys. If I so much as see you in any pain, or shortness of breath, we’re going home.”

   “Whatever you say Pap.”

~---~

   As quickly as Frisk was taken away from Waterfall, she was instantly transported to a foreign area. The strange monster had her painfully suspended in the air by her arm. The hand holding onto her had released its vice-like grip, causing Frisk to land harshly onto her feet. Hard grey tile hit the bottoms of her shoes, slightly reverbing in the vacant structure. The brightness inside was just as well lit as Waterfall itself. The lights were dim, and it took a moment for Frisk to analyze her surroundings.

   The place was dull and dreary with no windows, furniture, or decorations in site. A long hallway stretched before them, to which the child could see a glimpse of a wooden table at the end.

   “What is this place?”

   The stranger said nothing and began to slowly walk straight down the hallway. As his back faced her, Frisk turned her head to see what was behind her, noticing a concrete wall and a singular metal door. She debated on running for it, staring for too long at the door behind her, wondering what the consequences would be if he caught up to her.

   “Open it.” The monster’s voice dared. Frisk jumped at the command, unaware that he had turned around. “Go ahead, since you are so fascinated with it.”

   Frisk, not wanting to anger her abductor, turned towards the door and pulled on the stainless-steel handle. It opened with a noisy screech, only to reveal solid wall on the other side.

   The door was a fake. But why was it here in the first place, if it served no purpose?

   “There is no way out of here on your own, human child.” The stranger said. “Escaping is pointless. And impossible at this point.”

   An unnerving wave of fear crushed Frisk’s spirit of the thought of being trapped with no exit. How was she supposed to get back home now?

   “Follow. Not that you have a choice.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all had a happy holiday, and may the new year be memorable. (In a good way!)
> 
> And let's hope that Gaster will take it easy on Frisk in the meantime.
> 
> (He won't.)


	11. Existence Unknown

  Having no other options, Frisk walked behind him through the rest of the hallway.

   “Where did you take me?” She questioned.

   “If you must know, we are inside a laboratory cut off from the rest of the underground.”

    “…Why me? I don’t even know who you are.”

    “Do you always ask so many pointless questions?”

   Frisk quickly shut her mouth, noticing the annoyance that dripped into his tone. She remained quiet, before suddenly, he spoke again.

   “Dr. Gaster. That is my name. Any more questions?”

   “Why are you doing this?”

   Gaster suddenly paused in his tracks.

   “Because you’re a human soul who has a very powerful trait. I’m sure you know this by now, but you posses a trait called Determination. It’s extremely powerful- almost like the other trait called Perseverance. They’re very similar, but your trait has more uses for me. With Determination, that trait wants to advance forward- it wants to test the limits and break those boundaries. Perseverance on the other hand simply endures, but never tries to reach for more.” He muttered.

   Frisk was confused by his explanation. She knew about her Determination. Her trait was what allowed her to mess with the timelines. Lately, she hasn’t really felt its power, almost completely forgetting about it. A fuzzy memory came back to her, as she recalled a major fight with…someone…

   She couldn’t remember who. The recent reset had jumbled everything up. But she could remember the other six souls helping alongside her. All of that power…

   Her head began to hurt just thinking about it.

   “If you wanted my power, why did you wait this long to do try and use it?”

   “I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment. I couldn’t exactly take you away with Sans in the way.”

   Before Frisk could ask another question, Gaster resumed his pace, urging Frisk to follow. The hallway ended, with an unsettling sight greeting Frisk on her right. Long gray metal bars were firmly planted in the floors, connecting all the way up into the ceiling. Behind the bars was a small flat bench attached to the wall, with no other decorations inside. The cell had a door which was visibly shut, with a key hole built into it.

   “What is this?”

   “It’s a cell. Get in.” He ordered, as one of his summoned hands opened it with ease.

   “What? W-wait a second-“

  “I am losing my patience. Get in.”

  “You can’t do this, I-”

  Another hand cut her off by roughly picking her up by the arm and throwing her in the cell. She yelped more from the shock than the dull ache she received.

   “You are really starting to get on my nerves human.”

   The door slammed shut, causing the bars to rattle from the force.  The physical interaction triggered Frisk into past memories of her mother. Out of concern for her safety, Frisk decided not to ask any more questions for the time being.

   The cell she found herself in was small. It felt more like a cage. There was, however, another door inside catching her interest.

   “The door inside is a bathroom. I am aware that humans need to relieve themselves unlike most monsters.”

   _How thoughtful._

   A few feet away from her cell was a desk, stacked high with papers. She saw Dr. Gaster casually walk over to it and sit in the large brown fabric chair. On his desk was a pair of glasses that he picked up and put on his face. He organized some of the documents and opened a drawer inside the desk. Out came a tape recorder, as he momentarily glanced at Frisk before pressing the record button.

   “The human has been successfully captured. She is currently being held inside her cell. She weighs practically nothing and doesn’t seem to have much muscle strength. Perhaps it is for the best. She had resisted against me twice already, and if she were much stronger, I would have no choice but to sedate her. The Determination trait isn’t as strong as I’d like for it to be, but it will have to do for now. Today I will let her settle in. Tomorrow I will begin experimentation and tests. The sooner we extract this trait, the better.”

   Frisk nearly froze at the mention of experimentation and extraction.

   “It is too early to make any judgements, but what she lacks in physical strength, she compensates with intelligence. I will monitor her closely, and update with more information.”

   When he was finished, he promptly hit the red button on the side and set the recorder back into his desk drawer.

   “You won’t get away with this.” Frisk spoke up. “The entire underground will be searching for me.”

   “If that was an attempt of a threat, I’m afraid you’ll have to do better than that.” He replied while standing up and walking closer to the bars. “You see human, nobody knows where you are because nobody knows that this place, or even I exist.”

    He leaned extremely close to the bars, almost causing Frisk to shy away. She resisted the feeling however, managing to maintain eye contact.

   “So, human. Let me ask you this; how do you track down something that does not exist?”

~---~

   Sans didn’t waste any time reaching Alphys’ lab. Cool air conditioning hit his bones instantly, while he heard the slight electric buzzing of a drill coming from upstairs.

   “Alphys? Are you busy?” Sans shouted to the ceiling.

   “Sans, is that you? What’re you doing here so early? You usually s-sleep in until t-twelve.” Alphys’ voice replied as the drilling stopped.

   “It’s an emergency. Can you come down?”

   “Yeah, h-hold on.”

   The skeletons waited patiently as the scientist made her way down the escalator near her work space.

   “Oh P-Papyrus is here too.” She noted. “What’s up?”

   “Frisk is missing. We need your help to find her.” Sans bluntly stated. Alphys’ eyes widened in surprise.

   “What? Frisk is missing? W-What do you mean by that?”

   “I mean she’s _gone_. I’ve searched everywhere in the entire underground for _hours_ and I haven’t seen her.” Sans explained.

   “We called Undyne and she let Asgore and the rest of the royal guard know. We came here to see if you could help.” Papyrus added.

   “Oh wow…that’s a b-big bombshell to drop on someone…” She admitted.

   “Please Alphys. We just want to see if there’s any footage of her on your cameras.” Sans pleaded with urgency.

   The color in Alphys’ face drained away.

   “Sans…” She began, almost afraid of his reaction. “The cameras have been down since Frisk came to Snowdin. The footage has all been grainy and fuzzy, l-like if there’s a g-glitch. It’s pretty much u-useless…”

   Sans’ eye lights shrunk into tiny white pinpricks.

   **“You’re joking…”** He said in disbelief. Alphys shook her head.

   “No. I wish I were. I’ve been trying to fix them for a while now too.”

   Sans visibly deflated, as he felt his legs weaken from underneath him.

   “Woah…easy Sans.” Papyrus worried, immediately at his side. He held onto his brother’s arm to keep him from falling to the floor. Luckily, the stability was enough to keep him from doing so, as he wobbled unsteadily before finding the strength in his legs again.

   **“Oh wow. This…this really…”** He trailed off, unsure of what to do.

   “I’m sorry Sans. I didn’t realize how close you had b-bonded with her.” Alphys spoke.

   Sans nodded numbly.

   “I’ll help you find her. For now, I’m going to c-check the cameras again and hope that there’s a-anything that came out. If not…t-then I guess I’m no use…”

   “Don’t say that Alphys. You’re helping us so much just by searching. Whether you find anything or not.” Papyrus interjected.

   “Thanks Papyrus. Let’s see…” She trailed off as she walked over to her computer. She typed in a password and easily logged on. Papyrus and Sans followed, watching as she entered a private database she had been building for a while.

   “Every 48 hours, a recording is saved into the d-database. The database can hold up to three months worth of f-footage before it needs to be emptied out again.”

   “Where does it all go?” Sans asked.

   “I keep them filed downstairs.” She answered. “D-Do you know what time Frisk went m-missing?”

   “It was around one in the morning.” Sans answered. Alphys pulled up the current recording and rewound back to 1 AM.

   “When did you notice she was g-gone? And do you have any ideas where she c-could have ended up?”

   “We were teleporting to Grillby’s but she didn’t make it on the other side.”

   Alphys hit a button on the keyboard and switched to the cameras inside Snowdin town. Black and white static covered the entire screen as she sighed in disappointment.

   “No audio?”

   “None. It’s all distorted.” She concluded solemnly. Sans bored into the screen, getting lost inside the static as Alphys continued. “W-What I could do is see if there’s a way to reverse the effects. I’m n-not sure how long that would take though…”

   Sans sighed in defeat as he finally took his eyes off the monitor.

   “Anything would help. Is there a chance that you could somehow retrieve a picture of Frisk before the cameras went down?”

   “Um…l-let me check…”

   Alphys exited the corrupted videos and typed in an earlier date into the search bar. After some scrolling, she selected a file that looked promising.

   Surprisingly, the video feed was still somewhat recognizable. It was obvious that whatever was ruining the footage hadn’t happened instantly, as it appeared as if it was slowly overcoming the footage like an ocean wave of grey static.

   “This one looks a little better. Maybe an earlier one...”

   After some more digging, Alphys pulled up another clip.

   This time they hit the jackpot. The video was much easier to see, and the three of them could clearly see Sans’ sentry station in Snowdin, with Papyrus marching around searching for his brother.

   “Hey look, it’s me!” Papyrus pointed out.

   “Can you switch the camera to a different one?” Sans wondered.

   “Yes, w-which one would you-“

   “The door to the ruins. That’s where I found her.” He finished. Without any further questions, Alphys switched to the camera’s point of view inside the bushes by the door. They were greeted by the sight of Sans holding onto Frisk’s hand, seemingly on high alert from something that happened off screen. They saw Sans speak to her, to which Alphys unmuted the audio and rewound.

   _“Sans? Are you sleeping on the job again?”_

   They watched his grip grow tighter upon hearing Papyrus’ voice.

   _“Hang on.”_ Was all he said before zipping the two of them away before Papyrus came.

   “So that’s what happened!” Papyrus realized. “You lied to me about finding any humans…”

   Sans shrank a little, feeling a bit guilty for his actions.

   “I’m sorry. But you understand why I had to, right?”

   Papyrus nodded. “Of course. I’m not mad. You had to protect Frisk.”

   During their conversation, Alphys had gone back and paused the video at a point where Frisk’s face was visible. She zoomed in and looked up at Sans.

   “Alright. We have a photo at least. S-Should we start making posters?”

   “Yeah.”

   The scientist cropped the photo and enhanced it, fixing the blurriness and pixilation. She saved the photo onto the hard drive and clipped it onto a new document.

   “We should at least fill in the basics. Name….Frisk. Did you ever find out what her last name was?”

   Sans shook his head.

   “Well, luckily the name isn’t common. Age?”

   “Uh…unknown.”

   “Oh…don’t know that either…” She mumbled sadly as she typed away. “G-Guess we could skip height and weight…”

   Sans had never felt so ignorant. Why didn’t he know these things?

   “Okay…L-Let’s forget all that. How about we p-put down a description?”

   “Sure….let’s see…brown short hair….bangs….sweet dark brown eye…skinny kid…loves purple for whatever reason…” He listed. “Has a knack for drawing and is shy to new monsters...has a great smile…”

   Sans went alarmingly silent, overcome with sadness. Alphys’ rapid typing came to a slow halt, noticing the change in his demeanor, as Papyrus placed a gentle hand on his brother’s shoulder.

   “Sans..? Are you okay…?” He asked. He didn’t reply, seemingly lost in his spiraling thoughts. “Sans.” Papyrus repeated with a firmer voice. Small eye lights met his gaze, showing that he was finally listening.

   “We’re almost done.” He consoled. “Let’s just get the flyer printed, and hand them out to the royal guard.”

   Sans nodded robotically and forced himself to snap out of it. He needed to stay sane.

   He needed to.

  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo nothing too crazy happened in this chapter. Although, the whole interaction between Alphys and Sans had gone completely different. Originally, the two of them got into a pretty heated argument with Sans blaming Alphys for the corrupted camera footage, and Alphys blaming Sans in return for losing Frisk in the first place. (Papyrus became the mediator). I went pretty far with this idea, but I decided to change it because it was becoming a bit too out of character for the both of them. After all, Sans is a pretty patient guy in the game. And Alphys is a bit too timid to try and fire back at him in the way I wrote it.
> 
> But to be fair, Sans and the gang are going through a really stressful time. People can change/behave differently under extreme circumstances.
> 
> Anyways, that's enough of my rambling. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll catch ya later.  
> ~CB


End file.
